The Reason for Existing
by Monogatari-Sensei
Summary: Akane Takigawa... cold, calculated,ruthless... most of the time . Sasori of the Red Sand... Master of Puppets. What would life be for them in Akatsuki together, I wonder ? Sasori x OC, Itachi X Sakura.
1. Prolouge

Hi guys. It's me again with a brand new story for you guys this time. New characters, new plots and let me tell you, although the second genre is romance there's a reason why it's second, so if you're looking for the mushy stuff then I ask you to please move on. Thanks you, please enjoy, please review and keep faith.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF IT'S CHARARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.

WARNING: CERTAIN SCENES MAY COTAIN GORY MATERIAL

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The Small village of Apple Trees was a very peaceful and cultural village. It was situated in the middle of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

The villagers residing here all knew each other and were like one big happy family. Among these villagers lived a family of five.

Junpei Takigawa and his wife Izumi Takigawa. They lived with their three children Atsuko who was fifteen years old, Akio who was thirteen and Akane who was seven.

They were an extremely happy family. Junpei used to work as head of the outside world communication department sending lots of messages to important people in the neighboring land. Though they were rich they preferred to live simply in an average size house with all the basic and a little extra needs of the children and his wife.

Izumi would remain at home to accompany Akane when she came home from the academy and to cook delicious meals for her family and some other villagers who would sometimes stop by to chat.

The three siblings loved each other as well and always stood up for each other when they got into trouble or had any problems. So one such ordinary day….

"Here Akio, catch" said Atsuko throwing a ball at her eleven year old brother.

The ball soared above his head and flew into the house with a bang.

"Hey no fair, you're so tall and on top of that your throwing it high" complained Akio running to fetch the ball.

"Ha, ha, maybe you should play with stilts now Akio nii-chan" hooted Akane from the side.

"Why you little …" said Akio charging towards Akane when a green barrier formed between the two of them throwing Akio back.

"Drat you always do that" said Akio rubbing his head.

"Gomen, gomen (sorry), I can't control it" said Akane running to help her brother up.

"Now Akane what have I told you about using your ninjutsu against you siblings" said Izumi coming up.

"It's not ninjutsu honey get your facts correct, the barrier jutsu is a special branch of the ninjutsu known as Barrier Art" said Junpei ruffling his youngest child's head.

"Oh you ninja's keep your jutsu's to yourself" said Izumi being the only non-ninja in the household.

"Mommy, see what Daisu-sensei taught me yesterday" said Akio performing a clone jutsu.

"Oh no, so that means bearing two of you?" asked Izumi playfully.

"Ha, ha, we get to eat more, and nobody can beat us at the academy now, I'll become the strongest ninja there and I will someday become the leader of our village" said Akio puffing his chest out proudly.

"And I'm sure you will but remember one thing always children, always keep smiling, for the pain you may face in your future lives may be extreme, a smile will be the easiest way out of it, a smile helps lessen the pain" said Junpei looking at his three children.

Atsuko, so calm and collected, had the potential to be a wonderful ninja in the future as did Akio. But there was no doubt about Akane who would surely some day be called great.

"_I hope to live to see those days, when my little kids will be all grown up and in the world"_ thought Junpei as they all moved in for lunch.

"Hokage-Sama, we have confirmed the suspicion the rebels from the Hidden Villages of Sand, Mist, Earth and Waterfalls are now hiding somewhere in the small villages between the fire and wind country" said an Anbu captain kneeling before the Hokage.

"Are you sure? It seems highly improbable that the rebels would unite, from where does this information come from?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"From Danzou-Sama and the Fire Daimyo" said the Anbu captain.

"_Hmm from Danzou?"_Thought Hiruzen.

"Ok, I don't want you to take any action till I have spoken privately with Danzou, tell him to meet me whenever possible between now and three" said Hiruzen.

"Right away Hokage-Sama" said the captain disappearing.

"_It seems impossible that the rebels would co-operate with each other to achieve their goal, this information has to be false, but how has the Fire Daimyo gotten involved with this?" _thought Hiruzen.

After fifteen minutes Danzou knocked on the door and came in.

"You called for me Hiruzen?"He asked.

"Yes, the anbu seems to be under the impression that the rebels have gathered together for an attack on Konoha, do you think this is indeed true?" asked Hiruzen.

"This information comes directly from my best spies and I'm certain that it is true" said Danzou.

"But you will admit won't you that the rebels are hardly the types to unite and how is the fire daimyo involved in this matter?" said Hiruzen.

"Maybe but times change, maybe they realized a better strategy, or maybe they have a leader, as for the fire daimyo, he supports my decision and believes in my abilities Hiruzen, unlike you" said Danzou.

"I don't doubt your abilities Danzou, wait a minute…what do you mean by a leader?" asked Hiruzen frowning.

"Recent activity and large bursts of chakra have been reported to me by the guards near the Village Hidden in Apple Trees" said Danzou.

"But the Village Hidden in Apple Tree's are a peaceful bunch of people, they never involve themselves politics" said Hiruzen.

"Do not be naïve Hiruzen, how much attention have we given the Village since Tobirama Sensei became the second Hokage? Absolutely zero, yes we send supplies to them but except for that we have absolutely no connection to that village, if it were not for my spies then what goes on in that village would remain a mystery forever, till it was too late to do anything at all about it" said Danzou.

"I think not, I have maintained a good relationship with the Head of the Village, he is a sensible and peaceful man, I find it very hard to believe that he would help rebels against Konoha" said Hiruzen.

" We have the proof, I have captured a villager of the village and she say's many shady strangers lurk around that village all day long, you can come over and question her if you like" said Danzou.

" Danzou while I appreciate all the effort you are putting I must ask you to stop abducting people to serve your own means, think about other people's terror for a change" said Hiruzen.

"I have felt and known terror Hiruzen, I shall continue to do so, Konoha was, is and always will be my top priority, and I don't care what I have to sacrifice for it" said Danzou turning walking shuffling away.

After the questioning of a woman brought from the Village of Apple Tree's it seemed clear that the rebels had gathered there.

However the Hokage was still unwilling to send the Anbu to investigate so secretly Danzou held a meeting with all members of the Root.

" Listen, we have received due confirmation the rebels are now gathered in the Village Hidden in the Apple Trees, the Hokage disbelieves us and is not taking any appropriate action so it is up to us to do it" said Danzou.

"What are your orders Danzou-Sama, we will obey every whim" replied the root leader.

"I want you all to visit the village and kill everyone there, not a child or a beast should be spared" ordered Danzou.

The root members nodded but the captain asked Danzou.

"My lord what is the need to murder the women and children? They are not fit to be rebels"

" The actual rebels could be anyone in the village, while it is most probably not the children there is no reason to be unsure, I have given my orders, complete annihilation of everyone living in the Village Hidden in Apple Trees" said Danzou.

"Whatever Danzou-Sama wishes" said the root captain as all the other members saluted.

The night was quiet in the Village Hidden in Apple Trees.

The snow was falling lightly from the sky and air seemed to issue a warning of a bad omen.

Hideki the Leader of the Village sat quietly in front of his desk watching his wife and children play a broad game before going to bed.

"Daddy you come and play too" laughed his younger daughter.

"No sweetie, daddy sucks at this right?" he answered back smiling at her.

"Yeah Daddy looses every time we play" joked his eldest son.

Just then Hideki sensed something strange. A large number of unknown chakra signatures were coming towards the village.

"Wait here sweetie; don't go out of the house ok?"Asked Hideki moving out.

He went out and felt the presences coming even closer.

Suddenly a blade was plunged through his heart.

"What? Who?" he cried as he fell.

"Honey what's wrong?' asked his wife coming out.

As soon as she had the time to register her husband's situation a blade was passed through her head and pulled down slicing her head into two.

"Spread out all over the village, kill every person you see, no need to spare anyone" ordered the Anbu Root Leader.

"Hurry Izumi, get the kids we're leaving" said Junpei.

"Leaving? Why are we leaving what's the rush?" asked his wife.

"Just do what I say, the village is under attack no one else is alive, we have to leave before they find us" said Junpei as his wife rushed upstairs to get eh children.

She explained briefly to them that the village was being plundered and they had to leave as fast as possible.

"Hurry up, we have to move fast" said Junpei as they all loaded onto a cart drawn by three horses.

"Yeahh" he said jerking the reigns, the horses neighed and began moving.

Soon they were galloping out of the village but the snow made it slightly difficult for the horses to move as fast as they normally would.

"_They're gaining on us, I have to save Izumi and the children"_ thought Junpei.

He stopped the carriage and covered his children with a white cloth, and then he took them to a huge mound of snow and used his chakra to scoop out a large hole.

"Get in there quick" he ordered as Atsuko, Akio and Akane tumbled in trembling from fright and cold.

"Honey what about you?" asked his wife.

"I have to move on, I have to take them away from this spot" said Junpei.

"But they'll catch you, you'll die, no I can't I won't let you" said his wife.

" I'm sorry honey, I have to do this, for the sake of our children" said Junpei kissing his wife for a last time and pushing her into the mound and then covering it up and hiding a small chakra repressor in the snow.

"_Now to throw them off track"_ thought Junpei getting on the horse and pulling the carriage to the other side which was a gorge leading down to a small river.

He pushed the carriage over and then mounted one of the horses and began galloping away.

"Where are they? Can you sense them?" asked the Anbu captain.

"We didn't bring any sensory type ninja with us sir, but I can sense a faint chakra moving away in the opposite direction" said one of the root members.

"We don't have much time, we must use the teleportation Jutsu" said the captain.

"Yes sir" said the member as five of them locked hands and combined their efforts and using the teleportation Jutsu

Junpei galloped away as fast as he could, "I have to lead them as far away from the kids as possible" he thought when suddenly five figures appeared before him.

"Stop right there, you are arrested for trying to flee the village" said one of the members.

Junpei disappeared and appeared behind him swiftly stabbing him in the vital point causing the man to crumple over.

Immediately he was surrounded by four other men and before he knew it his legs and hands had been cut off.

"You are a jounin level ninja but you don't stand a chance against the Anbu Root, now tell us, do you have an accomplice? Some one you've hidden away?" asked the captain.

"Captain, I found his accomplice" came a voice from behind them.

The captain turned to see a middle aged woman being dragged by her hair.

"Izumi" cried Junpei struggling to move but couldn't.

Seeing her husband like that Izumi screamed and ran to him.

"Junpei, what have these monsters done to you, Junpei" she cried as she stood up, rage controlling her features.

She pounced on one of the men and wrapped her hand around his neck.

A sword pierced her leg as she stumbled to the ground.

"Hey captain, what say we have a little fun with this woman before killing her?" asked one of the men.

"It is above my honor to do such things, I'm going on ahead to report, you do what you like" said the captain disappearing.

"Well now that the captain's gone what should we do with you my pretty little butterfly?" asked one of the men.

Izumi had crawled near her husband and was weeping on his body.

"Hmm, the dudes still alive, pretty stubborn eh?"Asked another member suddenly plunging a sword in straight in his heart.

"Noooooooo you monsters, leave my daddy alone" came the voice of a small child.

The men turned to see three children standing their wrapped in white cloaks with tears streaming down their checks.

"Hey well what'd you know, we've got another little butterfly here" said the man as he grabbed Atsuko's hand roughly.

"Let me go, I'll kill you" cried Atsuko as Akio grabbed the man's hand and gave his fingers a bite.

The man slapped Akio away and crashed his lips roughly on Atsuko.

"Let go of my daughter you beast "cried Izumi grabbing the man's hand and slapping him so hard that he fell to the ground.

"That's it I'm done playing nice, tie up the younger two, let's have some fun with the butterflies" said the man giving a twisted grin.

"Noooo, mommy, Atsuko, noooo" cried Akio watching with tears down his checks and his hands and legs bound.

Akane watched all this with horror, _"What were they doing removing mommy and Atsuko's clothing? Why were they grinning and grunting like that? Why did they moan over and over again?" Why isn't anybody stopping this?"_

Finally the men dropped the limp bodies of Atsuko and Izumi and pulled up their pants.

One of the men kissed Izumi roughly and then plunged a blade in her stomach.

"Mom, noooo" cried Atsuko weakly.

"Damn you bastards, I'll fucking kill you" cried Akio struggling like a wild animal against his ropes.

One of the men came over to him and slashed his face with a kunai.

Grinning at Akio's intense cried of pain the man turned to Akane.

"You know baby, when your five years older you'd make a delicious thing to have on bed" said the man untying her ropes and running his hands over her.

" What have you done with mommy and daddy, why isn't Atsuko moving, why is Akio crying, you're all bad, you're horrible, I can't forgive you, this is … unforgivable"

With the last word Akane's face glowed and a sharp waves of chakra formed around and blew everyone away.

"You killed mommy, daddy and all the others in the village, you hurt Atsuko and Akio, I'm never going to forgive you" shouted Akane as her features began to change. Her dark hair began turning darker, her violet eyes turned black, her finger nails became longer.

"Hey what the heck is happening, her chakra levels are shooting up at a crazy rate" said the men backing away.

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you all" screamed Akane so loudly that the men's eardrums gave aloud throb.

"Damn that bitch, what the heck is she doing? I can't move" cried the men when suddenly a hand grabbed their neck. A scaly hand with green skin, it grabbed his neck and squished hard breaking it and killing the man.

The same happened with every other man there and soon excepting Atsuko, Akio and Akane everybody there was dead.

As the sun rose over the forest the Anbu captain returned to find all his men dead. He stared grimly at the three children. One was unconsciously fallen, one was naked and unconscious, obviously raped and the third was tied, had a slash across his face and was also unconscious.

He saw the body of Izumi lying on top of her husband. All gashed and cut in places. He saw that his men had their throat crushed.

"_I must kill these children now"_ he thought and took out his kunai.

But as he was going to embed the kunai into Akane's heart his hand stopped him.

"_I can't, I just can't even though Danzou-Sama has trained me to be unemotional I just can't kill a child who is this vulnerable"_ thought the man.

He then came to a decision.

"_I will take these children and move them away to different parts of the ninja world so they never meet each other again"_ he thought picking up the three unconscious bodies and disappearing.

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Bye guys. See you nest time. Please don't forget to review.


	2. Watch Over Us

Hi guys welcome back to the second chapter of The Reason for existing, now I would like to inform you that the present story begins fifteen years after the events of the previous chapter, so don't be confused.

**FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER THE ANHILATION OF THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN APPLE TREES.**

**IN KONOHAGAKURE**

"Then I hereby name you Tsunade, Granddaughter of First Hokage Hashirama Senju, Grandniece of Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, Student of Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, may your rule last long and your power bring peace to our village" said the Fire Daimyo as everyone bowed before Tsunade in her Hokage hat.

Three days later Tsunade sat in her new office with piles and piles of files in front of her.

"Huh? Is this my job? Signing useless pieces of paper all day long? Now I see why you tried to get me to become Hokage Jiraiya you frog" complained Tsunade.

"Now, now, I'm a Toad Sage my dear ex-flat chested Tsunade" said Jiraiya smiling.

"Ex is right, anyways, where is Shizune anyways?"Asked Tsunade.

"She said something about a pig and pork" said Jiraiya.

"I hope she won't cook Tonton and eat him, I wouldn't be able to bear it, she gets absent minded fits like that sometimes" said Tsunade taking down the topmost file.

"Oh of course" drawled Jiraiya.

"Anyways what do you have on that mysterious organization and about Itachi Uchiha's invasion?" asked Tsunade scrolling through the files with a bored look on her face.

"I've found out there's a mysterious organization called Akatsuki which targets the jinchurki's from all over the world, they capture these jinchruki's and take out the tailed beast sealed inside, after the tailed beast is removed the host dies, what they plan to achieve from this is a mystery to me" said Jiraiya.

"Hmm, that means Naruto is in danger, also that Gaara from the sand" said Tsunade.

"Yeah, I believe…."

Jiraiya was interrupted by the sound of running feet.

The door burst open a little orange whirlwind swept in.

"Hey Granny Tsunade, you've got to give me a new mission to get Sasuke back, I have to keep the promise I made to Sakura-Chan" yelled Naruto.

Sakura followed him in looking teary eyed and weary.

"I'm sorry Tsunade-Sama, I'll remove him at once" said Sakura.

"No wait, Naruto, I want you to go on a mission with Hinata and Ino and Kiba, it's a spying mission of B-Rank, It leads you near Orochimaru's lair, you will be accompanied by Kakashi" said Tsunade.

"All right, I'm going to keep my promise and get Sasuke back, you'd better believe it Sakura-Chan" said Naruto bounding out of the room.

After Sakura left Jiraiya asked Tsunade "Is it really ok for the boy to leave the village so unprotected?"

"He's going with Kakashi, plus he's not going unprotected, I'm sending five Anbu black Ops to shadow them just incase" said Tsunade.

"Well I'm glad to see that you're living up to your title" said Jiraiya.

"Spoken like a true old man" said Tsunade shuffling through her papers.

"Excuse me? That's a great one coming from one who uses a jutsu to make herself appear young" retorted Jiraiya.

At Tsunade's glare he quickly got up and jumped out of the window and landed nimbly on his feet.

"_Akatsuki huh? Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. The Nine Tails, Naruto, Sasuke, Orochimaru, too many things to worry about"_ thought Tsunade going to a secret closet and picking out a sake bottle.

Drinking the sake with gusto Tsunade thought to herself, _"No, As Hokage it will be my responsibility to see that these problems are extinguished at once, the villagers, the elders, the daimyo, the Shinobi's they have all put their trust in me and chosen me as their Hokage, I must live up to it and become as great as my grandfather and Grand uncle and of course, Sarutobi-Sensei"_

Looking down below at the crowded street Tsunade smiled to herself, _"I will protect the Will of Fire at whatever cost"_

In a dark dungeon stood a huge statue with a hand outstretched and on each finger except the left small finger stood a figure wearing a black cloak with bloodied clouds, from their nose to their ankles.

"Itachi, Kisame, your attempt at capturing the Kyuubi was in shambles, explain yourself" ordered a deep voice of the Leader.

"My apologies Leader-Sama, we will do better next time" said Itachi.

"Yeah there was that freaking Sannin hoping about near the kid and in the middle of that Itachi's kid brother came barging into the battle, in all the confusion the kyuubi got away" said Kisame.

A group of sniggers went over through the hall.

"What louses, yeah" said Deidara.

"You can't even kill a fucking kid or an old man without loosing them, Great Sharkman and Survivor Uchiha" yelled Hidan.

" Did you check to see if any of them had money on them while you tried to catch them?" asked Kakuzu.

"Did they look good enough to eat?" asked Zetsu black half.

"That's enough everyone, we'll have no more of that" came a calm female voice of Konan through the masculine voices.

"Hey Danna, what's the matter, you haven't added your protocol yet, hm" said Deidara.

A red headed teenager boy with large eyes suddenly started up, "What? I don't care if some brat outsmarted Kisame and Itachi though I am a bit surprised" he said monotonously.

"Anyways, moving over, this cannot be passed over as if its nothing, our standards are falling, in the past five years we have only managed to capture the Five- and Seven Tails, the remaining seven tailed beast are still out somewhere" said Pain.

"Hear, hear" screeched Hidan.

"So I have decided that we must fill in Orochimaru's place, with someone very competent" said Pain.

"What another member you mean? This will be very expensive" said Kakuzu.

" We also need a good mission tracker, a person who keeps tabs of all the side missions we do, ensure all the money we get goes to Kakuzu's treasury, assist Zetsu in spying and various other things, we will begin the search for our new member from today, Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu and Konan you four will not be involved in this, your main task will remain in locating and capturing tailed beasts, the rest if you are to scatter for some time and try to find some who you think will be good enough for this post, also consult with Konan before bringing him or her into or even near the base" said The Leader.

"Yeah, yeah whatever "said Deidara.

"Gah! No fucking whore or slut is going to enter this organization without passing my expectations" said Hidan.

"I will get to it immediately if you would advance my paycheck a little" said Kakuzu.

Sasori did not speak.

"Very well then, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan and Kakuzu, begin your search immediately, and should you ever come across any other tailed beast then inform us all before taking any rash decisions, Sasori and Kakuzu, I give you that responsibility.

Both of them nodded once.

"Very well then, dismissed" ordered the Leader jumping down as the hand began retreating.

Deidara and Saosri made preparations to depart when a thought came to Deidara's head.

"Hey Danna, who do you think Leader's going to partner the new member with, yeah?"

"Most probably they'll work alone or with Zetsu" said Saosri slipping inside Hiruko.

"But didn't Leader-Sama say they were going to replace Orochimaru, wasn't Orochimaru your partner, un?"Asked Deidara.

"He was, but unfortunately I have to put up with an idiot who always keeps me waiting and who thinks art is fleeting" said Sasori in Hiruko's voice.

"That's right, Art is a beautiful moment which never lasts for more than an eye blink, it's there one minute and gone the next, that's what makes it so beautiful and creative" said Deidara.

"Rubbish, if art disappears in a second then what will be there to see? Art goes on forever, frozen with time, an eternal piece of Life, always to remain so, just like my puppets" said Sasori.

"Yeah well I don't happen to think a lot about your pieces of wood as art, hm" said Deidara as they began walking out of the base.

"The feeling is mutual, I don't think you even have the right to call those firecrackers and chunks of paste art" growled Sasori.

"They aren't chunks of paste, my clay is finely molded and has tiny pores in it to allow chakra in, hm" said Deidara.

"You're pathetic, what would happen if someday you ran out of clay?" asked Sasori.

"As if that'd ever happen, hm" shouted Deidara.

"You always have to be ready for everything or anything for that matter" said Saosri sobering down a little.

Deidara noticing the change in his partner's postures moved over the current topic.

"Where are we going first?" he asked.

"Kakuzu and Hidan are searching down south, Leader-Sama himself will search North, our base is in the west so I guess we're going to the east, that would near The Land of Fire" said Sasori.

"Cool, I like things with Fire, hm" said Deidara.

"Though it's dangerous, the Fire Country will be extremely well protected after Itachi and Kisame's entry, we'll have to be very inconspicuous" said Sasori.

"What's life without a little danger, hm?"Yelled Deidara.

"_Heaven help me"_ thought Sasori.

In a small pub on the outskirts of Konoha a lively party was going on.

There were men in every booth kissing their girls for the night and fingering them while they moaned and giggled.

The bartenders poured out frothy wine and beer in large cups as the smell of alcohol, sweat and pesticides mingled in the air.

Out side the pub stood a cloaked figure, a tall person wearing a black cloak and holding a small piece of paper in her hands.

The door was pushed open and the cloaked stranger walked in. Immediately a hush fell over the pub and two or three girls even hid under the table.

A strong breeze blew in at that moment causing the hood to lift a little.

Some of the women fainted seeing the face and the men began to sweat profusely.

"Kousuke" uttered the female as it turned out to be.

One of the bartenders lifted a shaky finger at a man who had passed out due to too much drinking. His companions fled in terror seeing the figure walking their way.

She went up to the drunken man and shook him hard.

"W-what the hell do you want bitch? W-wasn't last night's one enough for you? "He yelled and then got to some sense and immediately his face froze with fear.

The cold violet eyes with red pupils narrowed and the hand which was tightly pressed to his shoulder began to creep towards his throat.

"Your time is up, have you got what I asked for?" she asked.

"No-no, please, f-forgive me please, I'll try much h-h-harder next time, I'm very. very sorry, please just give m-me one m-more chance, please" begged the man.

The other hand began to creep into his pocket and retrieved a large gold bracelet.

"I'll be taking this back" she said dropping the man and turning away.

When she reached the door she stopped.

" You know Kousuke, if I had found you working diligently instead of trying to pleasure yourself at a cheap bar then I might have forgiven you completely, you compelled me to do this" she said as a long katana appeared behind Kousuke and pierced his head.

Immediately screams erupted around the bar as the door closed and the cloaked stranger disappeared into the dark night.

"Tsunade-Sama, we've had many reports of a mysterious assassin woman who goes around wearing a black cloak and killing people on a whim" reported the Anbu root leader beside his two comrades, all kneeling before Tsunade and Shizune.

"Hmm, any idea's about the origin or location of this assassin?" asked Tsunade.

"She was least seen in a pub on the outer edges of Konoha killing a man called Kousuke" said the Anbu leader 2.

"Any particular reason why she would kill people on a whim?" asked Shizune.

"I'm afraid we have no information on her at all, all we know is that the bar people heard her ask Kousuke of something she had asked him to look for, also she took a golden bracelet from him" said the Third Anbu leader.

"Have you absolutely no other information other than this?" asked Tsunade rubbing her temples.

"I'm afraid not, except that she is usually seen in a black cloak with a hood pulled till her mouth" said the second Anbu Leader.

"Could she be affiliated with the two Akatsuki members who invaded a few days ago?" asked Shizune.

"Possibly but the possibility is unlikely" said Tsunade.

"What are your orders Hokage-Sama" asked the Anbu leader 1.

" Okay send out a team of tracker ninja's immediately to locate this girl dead or alive, also send two medics with them, if she's as powerful as you say she is then it's best if we remain cautious" said Tsunade and the Leader's nodded and disappeared.

"You look very stressed Tsunade-Sama, shall I get you some tea?" asked Shizune concerned.

" No, I just want to think, cancel all my appointments for today after noon or get them replaced will you, I'm feeling like I want to go to the burial ground" said Tsunade getting up.

Shizune nodded understandingly and stroked Tonton who oinked softly.

As she was heading out she met Kakashi at the Stone Memorial.

"Hokage-Sama? Why are you out here alone?" asked Kakashi in surprise.

"I'm not called Hokage for nothing Kakashi, what about you, visiting someone's memory?" answered Tsunade.

"Would that be Sakumo and your ex-teammates memorial?" asked Tsunade.

Kakashi nodded a little and then spoke to her, "Have you ever felt what it's like to know your friends are dying, or are dead and you can't do anything to help them? Feeling their pain, knowing their fate/"asked Kakashi.

Tsunade laughed a little, "Do I know? I've seen the body of my own brother and my own lover decay before my eyes, and you ask if I know?"

At first Kakashi did not reply but then he spoke quietly, "I'm sorry, I just lost myself there a little"

"No matter, how come you're not with Naruto and the rest, aren't you all going on a mission today?" asked Tsunade.

"Yes, we'll be meeting at the gate in ten minutes" said Kakashi.

"Be careful, there's an assassin lurking somewhere who's dangerous, protect Naruto and Sakura Kakashi and the others as well, I'll be sending five Anbu to keep your back should you run into trouble or face Akatsuki" said Tsunade.

"Hai, arigatou gozaimasu Tsunade-Sama, I'll try my best" said Kakashi straightening up.

After he left Tsunade turned to gaze at the stone.

"_Nawaki…Dan…Sarutobi-Sensei… watch over us please," _

Yes I know I've not given the main characters much screen time this chapter but I'm trying to sort out some things before focusing on them. Thanks for all your reviews, I really appreciate them. Keep them coming, and thanks for reading. Bye.


	3. Murder!

Hello and welcome back to the third chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. This chapter takes place three years after the events of the previous chapter. Please read, enjoy and review.

WARNING: This chapter may contain certain gory scenes

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.

* * *

**3 YEARS LATER**

In the Amegakure Akatsuki base, a meeting was being held.

"Over the past three years we have not been able to locate or capture a single Tailed Beast, nor have any of you managed to find a competent member for our organization, every member brought in could not even survive for three minutes against any of you, I'll confess, I'm extremely disappointed" came the stern voice of Pain through the stillness of the cave.

He got no response except a low moan and an uncomfortable murmur.

"Leader-Sama, I have some good news on account of the Tailed Beast" said White Zetsu.

"You might find it extremely useful" said Black Zetsu.

"Then say it" snapped Pain.

"We've located the Shukaku, the One Tailed Raccoon, to Gaara of the Sand, Kazekage of the Sand Village" replied Black Zetsu.

"Gaara of the Desert? Hmm, well since this is the Sand Village we'll leave the capturing of this Jinchuriki to Sasori and Deidara, I trust you two will no have trouble in accomplishing this mission?" asked Pain.

Both Sasori and Deidara shook there heads.

"Concerning the new recruit we have some good news as well" said Kakuzu.

"Good news my foot, that bitch won't last a minute even against a weak namby pamby like Deidara" said Hidan.

"What was that? Unlike someone I know, I don't play around with voodoo dolls and triangle necklaces all day, un" yelled Deidara.

"Yeah? Well at least I don't indulge in pleasuring myself with my hands just cause I can't get a chick to bed, just like I said, namby pamby" yelled back Hidan.

"I think we've had enough of that" ordered Konan coldly.

"Who is this you speak of Kakuzu?"Asked Pain.

"Over the past two years I have been noting the progress of this particular girl" said Kakuzu.

"That's because she's a money loving zombie like you" yelled Hidan still seething.

"Like I said she's been getting better over the three years and I believe that she may easily be our level, she is known to be a very shrewd person and also has extensive knowledge of financial matters" said Kakuzu.

"_No wonder he's recommending her so much"_ thought Konan.

"Hmm, you seem to think quite highly of her, well I'll trust your decision, who is this girl? Have you made any inquiry into her background?" asked Pain.

"Yes, she originates from the Village Hidden in the Apple Trees which was destroyed by Konoha ninja eighteen years ago, apparently she was the only survivor and has a burning hatred towards Konoha, she is extremely skilled in the use of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu but her main strength remains unknown, but according to me she will make a good member" said Kakuzu.

"You really think a girl will be able to fit in here?" Asked Kisame.

"I don't see why not" replied Kakuzu glancing at Konan.

"Shall we go and investigate Leader-Sama?"Asked Itachi.

"No, Konan and I shall look into it ourselves, you should concentrate on finding more jinchuriki's" said Pain.

"Well let me rewind the tasks you all are to perform, Zetsu, Kisame, Itachi, you three are to continue to search for more Tailed Beasts, Hidan and Kakuzu will assist in the recruitment of the newest member and carry out the side missions which will be dropping in from time to time, Deidara and Sasori will focus on the capture of the Shukaku" said Konan clearly.

All the holograms nodded and slowly began to disappear one by one. Till only Pain, Konan and Kakuzu were left.

"Where is the girl now?" asked Pain.

"She's currently in an oasis near the sand village, but it's not anywhere too near" said Kakuzu.

"Hmm, very well then Kakuzu, you may go, and try to suppress Hidan a little more, he is getting louder than required" ordered Konan.

After he had left she turned to Pain.

"Shall we leave for Suna then, Nagato?"She asked.

"Yes, it's essential for us to have a new member by the time Deidara and Sasori get the Shukaku or it will be a longer and more strenuous process" said Pain.

"Well then I'll get some weapon pouches ready" said Konan leaving the Leader alone to his thoughts.

* * *

Far away in a beautiful oasis near the sand village Akane Takigawa was resting with her cloak still over her body and her hood pulled back.

She sat on the cheap beds provided by the inn and sat eating dango and studying a map.

" _If my calculations are correct the Sand Village will be about 50 kilometers from this point, if I travel on foot it will take me four days, if I travel by teleportation it will cause me 70% of my chakra which will result in me being weak and tired when I reach their"_ thought Akane munching the dango.

Just then a hullabaloo could be heard from outside her room.

Opening the door Akane saw five Suna Jounins holding a small boy of thirteen by the neck pinned against the wall, the boy's mother was at their feet begging for them to let go of her son.

All around them the villagers were standing looking in fear and surprise.

Suddenly one of the jounins caught sight of her and yelled, "There she is, in the room"

They dropped the boy and rushed towards her.

They surrounded Akane and spoke to her, "The Black Assassin, we are here from direct orders of the Kazekage to arrest you for your heinous crimes of murder, thievery and terrorism"

Akane disappeared and suddenly appeared behind the man who spoke and before anyone could react a sharp katana was pierced through his heart.

"What the heck? Did you even see her moving?" asked the second jounin.

The other three jounin rushed at her together.

A barrier formed between them and threw them away some distance.

Once again Akane disappeared and three katana's pierced the three jounin's vital points.

It was all done in the blink of an eye.

The last of them stood his ground and performed a jutsu, "Wind Release: Wind Cutter Jutsu" he cried as a sharp blade of wind formed and slashed Akane in the stomach.

She fell to her knees and glared at the jounin.

The jounin raised a katana and brought it down hard on her head but before he could do so a barrier formed between them.

This green barrier surrounded the man completely.

Suddenly a tornado of kunai's began whirling inside the barrier and in five minutes the man was killed after bearing the pain of so many kunai's.

The women screamed and the men gasped with horror, blood splattered on Akane's hand.

She lifted it up and licked it, "Hmm, not to sweet yet not very bitter either" she said to herself walking towards the door.

On her way to the door the child who had been assaulted first fell at her feet.

Not glancing at the tiny child she kicked him away lightly.

But the child held onto her legs.

His mother screamed and shook and fainted.

Finally Akane stopped and picked up the child by his shirt and slammed him to the wall.

For a moment she glared and then the anger in her eyes disappeared.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly letting him drop to the floor.

"You saved me" said the child.

"I did not, it was my own self defense, I didn't care if you died or not" replied Akane.

"You saved me" repeated the child firmly.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Tomoya" said the child.

"Let me go Tomoya" said Akane.

"No" said Tomoya griping her tightly.

Akane glanced at the fainted woman, _"A weak fool, can only cry and beg, even at her age, the boy will be better off without her" she thought._

"Is she your mother?" asked Akane nodding towards the fainted woman.

" No, mommy died when I saw born, daddy killed himself when I was three, auntie and uncle sold me to a slave hunter when I was six and when I was ten I was brought to the orphanage where I was taken in by this woman and her eight other children" said the child.

Akane looked startled at hearing a thirteen year old rattle of such a tragic past without a hitch with precise detail.

"Why are you holding me Tomoya?"Asked Akane.

"Don't go, you saved me, stay here" the child said.

"That's impossible, I have to leave" said Akane staring at the villagers who shrank back in fear.

"But I don't want you to go, please stay with me" pleaded the child.

"I must leave, I have to go to Suna, I must get there in three days, I can't stay here," said Akane turning the other way.

The child began to cry ad Akane sighed.

" Listen I'll do what I'm supposed to do in Suna and return, then you can go to where my friends live and stay with them, I'll visit sometimes and you'll have a good home, if you want" added Akane hesitantly.

The child sniffed and looked up, "You really mean it? You'll really come back for me?"

Akane's violet eyes looked straight at him, "I will"

"Okay then, I'll wait for you," said Tomoya getting up.

He gave Akane a big smile and ran off in the opposite direction.

Akane looked at the villagers," Anyone who informs the citizens outside the village shall die a most painful death, also may I bother you to keep an eye out for the child, here's your fee" said Akane throwing a small bag of money at a nearby man.

Doing so Akane turned and walked away out of the village.

After walking around three kilometers she sensed a presence.

Turning around she saw no one but when she looked straight again she found herself facing a young woman with blue hair and a white origami flower on her head. She was wearing a black cloak with red clouds.

For several minutes the two women stared at each other taking in every detail every aspect of the other.

Finally Konan ended the silence, "Akane Takigawa?"She asked.

Akane did not reply.

"Are you Akane Takigawa?"Repeated Konan.

"Yes, I was, once upon a time" said Akane.

"And who are you now?" asked Konan.

"I don't really think that concerns either of us" replied Akane coldly.

"As you might have noticed, I am from the Akatsuki" said Konan.

Again Akane did not reply. Instead she glanced at Konan's cloak and then stared at her again.

Konan lost patience and stepped forwards.

"Listen up, I have come to you because of a command from the Leader of Akatsuki, he has asked you to join the organization," she said clearly.

Akane remained silent.

"Will you or will you not? We have been observing your actions for sometime and we feel you may be an asset to our organization" said Konan.

Still Akane did not speak.

"Well I think you'll need some time to think this over so I'll be returning tomorrow to ask your decision, and when I do try to speak a little more" said Konan.

Akane watched as the blue haired woman stepped back and disappeared with a fluttering of paper.

"_Akatsuki? Why do these pests want to bother me now? Don't tell me they're serious about trying to recruit me? This will indeed put a hamper on my tasks"_ thought Akane walking towards Sunagakure.

She walked on thinking about the past few hours and within a matter of three days she reached Sunagakure.

"Hey you stop, where do you think you're going?" cried one of the guards as Akane walked on calmly.

One of them stepped towards her but with a slight flick of her wrist a huge gust of wind blew the man away and he hit his back against a protruding rock and fell down.

Immediately she found herself surrounded by the suna ninja's.

They made many attempts to hit her with wind enhanced taijutsu but each time they got close to hitting a barrier would form between them.

Akane simply walked on till she was inside the city itself.

The guards exhausted by the attempt to stop her sent for backup and resorted to collaboration Jutsu's.

"Wind Release: Great Tornado Jutsu" they said creating several human sized tornadoes with sharp wind chakra spiraling at an unimaginable rate around them.

Soon she reached a small inn that was where she turned and faced the guards.

" I'm so sorry to do this, you completed me to it, please have a good afterlife" she said sincerely as the men saw kunai had pierced their necks, chests, heart and heads.

On the other end of the town a clone of Akane was causing havoc greater than her own by murdering people left and right.

As expected Gaara the Kazekage moved there first not having caught hold of the real Akane's trail.

As the sand easily closed around the girl the clone began to distort.

Everyone gaped in surprise to see that the clone did not vanish like the ordinary ones do, instead the skin began to melt away and soon the hair, face and expression changed as well.

Once it was over in the sand lay the corpse of a long dead man. Obvious attempts at medical ninjutsu had been made on his body.

"Who could have done this?" asked Temari, Gaara's sister who was standing beside him.

"Someone very knowledgeable, someone very powerful" muttered Gaara as a guard ran up to him.

"Kazekage-Sama, there is an intruder on the other side of the town, she seems to be in the Floral Inn" said the guard.

Gaara's sand immediately formed beneath his feet and lifted him up.

"I'm going on ahead, be sure to protect the villagers if something happens" said Gaara.

Temari nodded and watched as her brother floated away on the sand.

Gaara's teal eyes observed carefully as a young woman of twenty two years walked into an inn wearing a black cloak.

Before she could proceed any further he brought his sand in a surprise attack around her.

Seeing the scratched out Apple symbol on her forehead he was confused.

"Who are you?" he asked as his captive stared calmly back.

"I am nobody, I am a mere presence among millions" said Akane.

"Why have you attacked the village?" asked Gaara.

" I didn't, your guards barred my way, I gave them exactly twenty three fair warnings about what would happen to them if my patience ran out yet they did not heed, they died a brave but unnecessary death" said Akane.

Gaara's eyes widened a little at this frank yet harsh speech.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

" I believe it's my turn to ask questions now, are you going to let me out of this sand box or do I have to kill you as well?" asked Akane.

Gaara's eyes narrowed as the sand tightened around Akane.

Suddenly huge spikes pierced through the sand creating little holes.

Though the sand didn't loosen the blades couldn't be crushed.

Very soon a strange fluid began leaking out of the holes created by the spikes.

"What… is this?" asked Gaara as the fluid took on a fairly humanoid shape and charged at him.

Gaara's sand shield came to his defense but the fluid simply ignored him and enveloped around a man standing behind Gaara.

"Thought you could get away now that the Kazekage had come to your rescue?" asked Akane as the sand loosened and instead tried to pierce the fluid.

"Help me, "cried the man as the fluid forced itself into his mouth and nose rendering him unable to breathe or speak.

It completely entered his body through that and soon he fell to the floor gasping and panting.

Two men kneeled before him.

"Hey dude, are you ok?"They asked.

The man looked up and smiled twistedly at them, when suddenly out of his eyes and entire body shot the fluid piercing through every cell of his body, ignoring his pitiful cries of intense pain.

The two men who kneeled in front of him had their heads sliced of and the rest of the crowed began ruining helter skelter as Gaara's sand covered them and saved them from harm.

Very soon the fluid fell back onto the corpse of the three men and began enveloping it.

In front of everyone's eyes the men began to change shape and distort and turned into Akane who herself was back on her feet.

And then like normally dispersed clone s they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

" My job here is done, I am now going to leave you Kazekage, you may choose to pursue me but that will cause you more pain and agony than it will should you not follow me, just remember I am not responsible for any deaths from this moment on, goodbye and have a good life" she said walking away slowly.

Two guards who just arrived charged at her but Gaara's sand stopped them.

"Don't tangle with her" he spoke, his hand quivering a little.

"_What is this? How could she give of such a murderous aura one moment and then turn into a sincere soul, who is that girl? No what is she?"_ thought Gaara as the black cloak vanished into the swirling sand.

* * *

Well from this point on the story is going to take a more angsty turn, in fact I'm thinking of making the first genre angst instead of Adventure, Please let me know what you think. See you and please review.


	4. Winning of Bet: Joining of Akatsuki

Hi guys welcome back. It's nice to see that this story is receiving so many hits. Please let me know if you'd like to suggest any idea's or plots and let me know of your thoughts. Please enjoy.

Konan walked into the cave in which she and Pain were camping for the night.

He was at that moment reading some important documents and did not speak and Konan knew better than to interrupt him.

Finally after thirty minutes he put his papers down and asked her, "Well how did the meeting go?"

"Not too well" replied Konan drinking some water.

"Why so? Did she refuse?" asked Pain.

"No, she didn't do anything, she just stood there, she hardly spoke even once, I've told her I'll come back tomorrow to find her answer" said Konan.

"Hmm, this is indeed exhilarating, are you sure you got the right girl?" asked Pain.

" She gave me a vague reply when I asked her if she was Akane Takigawa, but she didn't deny it and it seemed that it was her name, somehow or other the name seemed to fit her so well, I just can't describe it" said Konan.

"And did you note any of her skills or any spectacular feature about her?" asked Pain.

"She didn't fight at all, but I did notice that her chakra seemed to be strange" said Konan.

"Strange in what sense?" asked Pain.

" It seemed to be pulsating, it seemed very alive somehow, apart from that her chakra levels are not very good, I don't see how Kakuzu thinks this girl can be an asset to us" said Konan.

"I will evaluate her myself, maybe she is hiding her true powers, we do not know for sure, did you note where she was going?" asked Pain.

"She was heading towards the Sand Village but I doubt she'll remain there for long, and we mustn't interrupt while Sasori and Deidara attempt to capture the Ichibi" said Konan.

"Very well then Konan, do a wide spread scout tomorrow and fin her location, I find this girl to be pretty intriguing even though I've never set eyes on her in my life" said Pain.

Konan nodded in return to that.

" Hey watch it, you nearly fell over" said Tomoya as he clutched Akane's hand to prevent her from tripping over a piece of wood fallen on the ground.

"Sorry, I can't see too well without my glasses" said Akane steadying herself.

Tomoya laughed a little.

"May I know the joke?" asked Akane dryly.

"Oh sorry, it's nothing but I never imagined that a ninja would ever need glasses" said Tomoya.

"Well most don't but ever since a little incident that happened in my past I need to wear glasses," said Akane then she realized she was speaking too much and clammed up again.

"Where are we going?" asked Tomoya.

"Village Hidden in Tornadoes" said Akane.

"Is it very windy?"

"Very"

"Who do you know lives there?"

"My friend"

"Will they accept me?"

"Yes"

"Can we rest a little later?"

"Yes"

"Do you have some food?"

"No, we'll stop at a Ramen stand in five minutes, you can eat then"

Tomoya realized that asking further questions would be foolish so he quieted down.

True to her word a ramen stand did appear in the horizon in a matter of five minutes.

"What'll it be miss?" asked the man cheerfully from the back.

"Order any thing you like, I'm going to get some berries for restoration of chakra" said Akane.

"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Tomoya.

"I'm not hungry said Akane disappearing behind some bushes.

After half an hour she came back and found Tomoya chatting with the ramen stand owner.

"That'll be 150 yen miss" said the man.

"150? That's daylight robbery" said Akane frowning.

"But my ramen is worth it miss, ask the child if you don't believe me" said the man.

"It's true, it was an amazing dish" said Tomoya.

"I'll give you 100yen" said Akane.

"How about 140yen" asked the shopkeeper.

"120 yen is my last offer" said Akane.

"Now look here young lady do you really think you can boss me around?" asked the man getting red.

Akane simply moved her hand and a sword appeared behind the man.

"Willing to change your mind now?" she asked.

"P-please, t-take I-it away I-I beg you" stammered the man eyeing the glittering blade.

"What the price then?" asked Akane.

"Free, for the child it's completely free" said the man shaking and shivering.

The sword disappeared, "Thanks, just what I was hoping to hear" said Akane.

The man collapsed on the floor sweating.

"Come Tomoya we're leaving" said Akane walking off as Tomoya followed after her after sending an apologetically glance at the man.

"You shouldn't have done that you know" he said as the air around them became more aggressive.

" That was his retribution for asking too much, the fool should have accepted when I said 120, a man who doesn't recognize a good offer when he sees one is a man who does not deserve to live, still I speared him because he wasn't worth dirtying my blade" said Akane.

"Oh" said Tomoya silently as they approached a small village.

"Here it is" said Akane walking up to a small door in the first house.

"Aren't there any guards here? Any body at all?" asked Tomoya.

"No, this is a forgotten village, very few people remember its existence" said Akane hammering at the door.

Soon the door opened to reveal a woman about ten years older than Akane.

She saw the cloaked girl and gave a whoop of delight.

"Akane how nice of you to drop in, it's been almost a year since I last saw you, why didn't you let us know you were coming? Daisuke is inside, he'll be delighted and as for me I'm ecstatic" screamed the woman.

"Yes, thank you Ayako but could we come inside?" asked Akane.

"Oh I'm so sorry, please do come in" said Ayako moving away from the door.

Inside it was warm and pleasant and a nice pale yellow light was emitting from a large lamp on the living room.

On the sofa sat a man of about 35 staring at a magazine he was reading.

"Daisuke-kun, look who's here again" said Ayako launching herself upon her husband.

Daisuke turned and smiled, "Akane this is such a pleasant surprise, I'm so happy you could stop by, please sit down, and who's this young man?" he asked.

"Is he the one? He looks kind of young to be your type doesn't he Akane?"Asked Ayako.

Akane and Daisuke shared a knowing glance while Tomoya blushed red.

"This is Tomoya, he asked to come along with me because he recently lost his parents and has no other relatives to turn to" said Akane.

Tomoya seemed surprised at this lie but did not comment at the look from Akane.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sweetie, is there anything I can do for help/'asked Ayako.

" Actually there is, you know that I have to be around doing dangerous things, so I want you to keep him with you, Daisuke, you're a jounin level ninja, I request you to please train him so that one day he can go out there alone" said Akane.

Daisuke glanced at her and opened his mouth to speak but his wife beat him to it.

"Of course, it's much to dangerous for a child to accompany Akane, and since the poor thing has no other relative to turn to I was just going to suggest that, isn't it wonderful Daisuke, he'll be like our son" said Ayako.

Tomoya seemed extremely overwhelmed by the things that were going on so quickly.

"Now hold on Ayako, are you sure about this Akane?"Asked Daisuke.

"Yes, there's no need to worry, he's a good kid, and I'll be paying you of course" said Akane.

"Absolutely not" chorused both Ayako and Daisuke.

Akane seemed a little taken back at their combined refusal.

"But it hardly seems fair that I impose like this and don't pay you" said Akane.

"Rubbish, you're doing such a good deed, you're saving a life from being ruined, that's more than enough payment for us" said Daisuke.

"True, looking after Tomoya will be payment, "said Ayako.

"But I can't take a favor and not pay back" said Akane.

"You'll do as I tell you Akane; remember the promise you made to me?" asked Ayako sternly.

Akane looked as if she would like to protest a little more but then closed her mouth.

"Very well, thank you very much for all your help, I'll be leaving now then" she said getting up.

"You're leaving?" asked Daisuke.

"Aww stay a little while more, I'll get some food" said Ayako.

"You must be feeling tired" said Daisuke.

Akane waved away their protestations.

" No thanks, it's very kind of you but I must leave now, I'll be back in possibly a week or two to check up on you Tomoya, meanwhile my offer for payment still remains open, please do let me pay at some point" said Akane bowing to them.

Ayako went forwards and hugged her; Tomoya did the same after Ayako moved away.

"Be safe, and don't get into unnecessary fights" said Daisuke patting her head.

"I won't" said Akane.

"Don't let those perverts at inn's get even a kilometer near you ok?"Asked Ayako.

"Sure," said Akane.

"Please come back soon, you will come right?"Asked Tomoya.

"I will, look after yourself and o whatever Daisuke tells you to, train well, and I'll be back in a week or two" said Akane.

Finally after all the goodbyes were over Akane stepped away from the village and in half an hour she was standing in a dense forest.

"Come out now, that's enough hiding and scouting" said Akane.

A whirlwind of paper formed between her and Konan's image formed as she landed on the leave infested ground.

"I've come for your answer" said Konan.

"I refuse" said Akane.

"Why so?" asked Konan unperturbed.

"It interferes with my plans" replied Akane.

"You're pretty talkative today" said Konan.

"And you're being very gullible, why? Is it because of the backup hidden behind the tree at a sixty degree angle to you?" asked Akane.

Konan's eyes widened a bit.

"_So not only has she sensed Nagato but also can sense exactly where he is" _

Aloud she asked, "Are you a sensory ninja?"

Akane did not reply.

"Why do you remain silent so often?" asked Konan.

"I remain silent because I feel it is not my business to speak, now if you will excuse me I need to be going" said Akane walking past Konan.

The moment she walked a little distance away she heard a crack behind her.

Turning to look she came face to face with an orange headed Akatsuki with piercings all over his face. He had spiky hair and his eyes were violet with rings in them.

"The Legendary Rinnegan? But how? That eye technique was supposed to have been wiped out a millennium ago" said Akane staring in shock at the cold ringed eyes.

"Akane Takigawa, you have been requested to join Akatsuki twice already, why do you refuse?" asked the man.

"I believe that is no concern of yours" said Akane glaring.

"You do know that I will not allow you to simply walk away from here after seeing me?" said Pain.

"Are you threatening me?" asked Akane, her eyes narrowing.

"It is a warning, join the organization or face your demise" said Pain.

Akane seemed at a loss for words but then smiled, "I have no intention of joining your half baked organization, kill me if you will, but you won't get to kill me without a fight"

Pain raised his eyebrow slightly and then spoke, "Very well then, I will fight you, if you can touch me even once then I'll let you walk away from here unharmed, if you can't touch me once then you will join Akatsuki, the time limit is half an hour"

"That seems reasonable enough" said Akane.

"Very well then, prepare yourself" said Pain.

Akane did nothing but stare at him. Then she smirked and ran towards him carrying two blades in her hands.

She swung those blades at Pain but before she could hit him a force of gravity threw her back.

She got up again and ran towards him once more, this time Pain attacked her as well.

"Water Release: Piercing Missiles Jutsu" he said as five sharp water spears formed and shot themselves towards Akane.

A barrier formed between her and the missiles but when she looked around she saw that Pain had disappeared.

Not wasting anytime she moved away from her current spot because at that moment the earth below her blasted off with great force and a large earth dragon glided out.

Spotting Pain on a tree branch Akane slashed at the tree but he jumped to another tree and then said, "Shinra Tensei".

Akane found herself being pulled towards Pain as a sharp blade appeared in his hand.

He pulled her closer and finally stabbed her through the chest.

"Pathetic as usual, Kakuzu seems to have been mistaken" said Pain as Konan looked up.

"Maybe but I feel something isn't right, she just didn't seem like the type to die so easily" said Konan.

Just then the body of Akane deteriorated and a fluid shot out of it and up Pain's arm.

"What on earth is this?" asked Pain trying to get the slimy, jelly like thing off him.

Just then he moved aside as Akane narrowingly missed touching him.

"Nice try" said Pain as his Rinnegan shone dangerously and the fluid was roughly grasped away from his shoulder, but the moment it came in contact with his fingers it began sinking in again.

On top of that Akane ran towards him.

Pain used shinra tensei again to deflect her away and grabbed the fluid again.

He then felt something below him and saw a hand emerging from the tree trunk grasping his ankle tightly.

Konan's eyes widened as she saw that her partner had been defeated in his bet.

He sighed and moved away as Akane emerged out of the tree.

On cue the tree dissolved into more jelly like substance, joined with the bit that was stuck to Pain and sank into Akane's skin.

"Well I won" said Akane.

"Yes, I will keep my word, you may go on your way but if we find you repeating things then you will have to be silenced and that won't be undertaken by some bet" said Pain.

"I have a question, does destroying Konoha match in with any of your plans?" asked Akane.

"Destroying Konoha? Well, we will have to go there to obtain something at one point of time; if it is not given then I will most certainly resort to destructive means" said Pain.

Akane considered this for a moment.

"Very well, with your permission I would like to change my mind and accept the previous offer" she said.

Konan looked surprised, "Why the change of mind?"

"Let's just say, I had a change of heart" said Akane simply.

"Very well, we will escort you back to the Grass Base where you will meet some of your fellow members, you will be given your cloak, hat, ring and other information there" said Pain.

Akane nodded in reply.

The three of them then charged off towards the opposite direction.

"Well that wasn't so tough after all eh Sasori Danna, un?"Asked Deidara as he flew slowly on his bird with an unconscious Gaara wrapped up in its tail.

"Yes and like always you kept me waiting for an eternity" growled Sasori in Hiruko's voice.

"Sorry but taking on a jinhuriki alone isn't creating art you know, it has to be planned, also we can't kill them, that makes it all the more difficult, I'll have to do something about my arm, un" said Deidara.

"If you had kept to the plan and not tried performing your flying antics then that would not have occurred" said Sasori.

Just then both their rings began to glow and a projection from Pain formed before them.

"We have found our tenth member, return to the Grass Base as fast as possible, and do not fight anyone else on the way if possible" it ordered.

Sasori and Deidara nodded as the projection disappeared.

"Seems a little grumpy doesn't he, un?"Asked Deidara.

"Probably has something to do with the new member, I wonder if it's the one that Kakuzu recommended" said Sasori.

"Must be, there hasn't been time for anyone else to suggest an entry, un" said Deidara.

"Well seeing his present mood we shouldn't keep him waiting too long, as I've said hundreds of time's before I don't like waiting and making other people wait" said Sasori.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, un" said Deidara looking bored.

" _A new member, well we've not had anyone new since Hidan joined last year, I wonder what this new girl will be like, if Kakuzu recommends her so heavily there must be some skill in her"_ thought Sasori as the two cloaked figures moved on between the sand and the wind.

Well that's it for this chapter. Finally my exams have been terminated till August so I can finally write a little more frequently. Anyways, thanks for reading, I appreciate it. Please keep reading and reviewing. Bye~nee.


	5. The Inititation and The Ring

Hi guys and welcome back to the fifth chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I apologize to the people who feel that this chapter is a little late but I had exams till yesterday so I was a little busy. I give my thanks to the people who read and my double thanks to those who reviewed. Hopefully you'll like this chapter.

Three cloaked figures walked leisurely towards a huge cave which had a boulder blocking it with a seal placed on the boulder.

Two of them, whose cloaks were splattered with bloodied clouds, pointed a single finger with a ring at the seal.

The boulder did not shift but a small opening appeared.

"Come along" said Konan as she Pain and Akane entered through the hole.

Akane followed them warily through the hole ready to jump back if anything attacked her.

"Don't worry, this is our base, well one of them at least, no one except Akatsuki members can get in, without much difficulty that is" said Konan as Pain continued to walk on.

As they approached the dining room curses and yells could clearly be heard from there.

Akane noticed Pain's eyes had a slight angry look.

Konan on the other hand looked completely furious.

"Kindly wait here a minute" she told Akane before charging off to the room and shutting the door behind it.

Akane couldn't hear anything but she guessed that plenty of shouting was going on.

"Wait here till Konan comes back, she'll tell you what to do next" said Pain before walking off.

Akane nodded and watched as he stalked off. Then she observed the walls of the cavern and found them infested with chakra suppliers.

She was just going to investigate further when she heard a sound behind her.

Turning she saw a red haired teenager wearing the akatsuki cloak.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"No one consequential" replied Akane.

The boy narrowed his eyes and stepped forwards.

"I take it you're the newest addition to Akatsuki?"He asked.

Akane did not reply but turned away from him.

"_There's something disturbing about him" she thought._

"Did you come here of your own will or did Leader have to drag you down?" he asked.

" I came of my own will thank you, no one could have brought me here if I wished, I would rather preferred to die than to do something I don't want to do" replied Akane heatedly.

"Is that so? Could you really be as naïve as that/'asked the boy.

"Naïve? How dare you suggest such a thing, I've seen things that could turn a person to suicide, I have had a bitter taste of life's wrath and you stand here calling me naive?" asked Akane charging towards him.

Sasori easily dodged her attack but made no attempt to fight back.

"Interesting, her skills are stronger than that of Deidara's but weaker than mine, a good find by Kakuzu" he thought still dodging the incoming attacks.

Just then the door opened and Konan stepped out looking red in the face and her hair very much tousled.

"Akane what are you doing?" she asked seeing the new member charging over and over again at Sasori.

"She takes offense too fast, anyways, I'll meet you at the initiation meetings Miss useless newest member" said Sasori walking off.

Akane yelled in rage and charged after him but was stopped by Konan.

" Getting into fights with your fellow members on the very first day will not appear well to Pain, keep your temper, Sasori is always like that, he likes to test his newest member and if they pass he can become a good ally to have by your side" said Konan.

"I don't need to pass any test given by a half baked teenager" growled Akane.

"Oh but that's just it isn't it? Sasori isn't teenager; he's actually thirty-five years old" said Konan.

The anger vanished from Akane's face, "Thirty-five? You're lying right? No one could be thirty –five and look so young"

"Well come with me, I'll explain everything in your room" said Konan leading her down the passage.

" Your initiation ceremony will be held in five hours, you must be there to receive your ring, also you must also maintain your temper there because some of the members can be extremely rude and annoying in turns" said Konan.

"Fine" said Akane taking in her room.

It was average in size and had a light yellow coat of paint all around it. A window at the back looked onto the fields behind the base and there was one table, two chairs, one medium sized bed, a weapon holder, a cupboard for keeping clothes, and a door leading to the bathroom.

"Well settle down now, I'll bring you your cloak after sometime" said Konan going back up the passage.

Sasori walked down the tunnel towards his own room and he met Konan on his way.

"What are you doing here?"He asked.

"Showing the newest member her room, the one beside yours" replied Konan.

"You mean Orochimaru's old bedroom? But why, there are plenty of rooms for her to stay in this base" said Sasori.

" Since she's taking Orochimaru's place she will be replacing every one of his rooms in all our bases, so please if you have a complaint go take it up with Pain" said Konan walking away.

"Drat, now I'll have that spoiled pest next to me disturbing me and my art, well if she tries anything I'll kill her and turn her body into an eternal work of perfection" said Sasori grinning inwardly to himself.

He walked down to his room and found that the door next to his was slightly open.

Fighting his urge to look in and see if the new member had been told of yet or not, Sasori hurried down to his own room.

As he sat down at his work bench he glanced at the newest puppet he was making. It was a humanoid one with extendable hand and leg sockets. It had three compartments in the stomach, the first held a sword, the second held a sealing scroll, and the third held a medical kit. There were many holes in its arms through which sharp spears could be shot and all that left to be done on it was inserting a chakra receiver and painting whatever part that was left.

He was just getting to work when a sudden burst of extremely intense chakra from the next room caught his attention and he left his puppet and ran into the other room.

He saw Akane sitting on the window sill with her head inclined to the right. Her eyes were misty and dreamy and her hands were fiddling with each other.

Sasori wondered what could have gotten the girl to this stage of emotion when she spotted him at the door.

"Its common courtesy to knock on people's door's before entering" she stated coldly.

Sasori straightened up, "I apologize, I felt an unusual burst of chakra from here"

Akane raised an eyebrow, "Really? Well it seems you're mistaken is it not?"

Sasori analyzed the girl, _"She seems to be telling the truth but I'm not very sure"_

"Yes, I must have been mistaken, that is funny, for ninety times out of hundred I am not mistaken" he spoke aloud.

"Well this must be one of those ten times you are" replied Akane even more coldly.

Just then Konan entered the room.

"Hello, what are you up to Sasori?"She asked looking surprised.

"Nothing, I just came to greet the new member" he said before leaving the room in haste.

"Well anyways, the preparations for your initiation have been moved ahead, it's taking place in twenty minutes, better get ready" said Konan.

"Ready? How am I supposed to be ready?" asked Akane.

"This is your akatsuki cloak" said Konan handing over a full sized cloak with red clouds on it.

" And your hat" said Konan handing over a kasa hat which was a straw hat with white paper like hangings that would cover the sides of the face and hide the eyes of the member from others.

Akane took the hat and the cloak from Konan.

"You may or may not choose to wear the hat outside or while on missions but the cloak is compulsory. The cloak signifies our organization and the power it holds" said Konan.

"What about the ring?" asked Akane.

"The ring you will receive at the initiation, it will have to be blended in with your chakra before you can wear it otherwise you'll constantly feel it draining away your chakra" said Konan.

"So that's to prevent outsiders to wear it" asked Akane putting her hands through her cloak and zipping it only till her lower chest.

"Yes, because the ring acts as a means of communication when we are great distances apart, suppose for instance if you were in wind country then Pain could still send a message to you there, you would feel your ring reacting and you would see a projection from him, likewise you could create your own projection so that you can be present it at emergency meetings, tailed beast sealing and any other such thing" said Konan as she and Akane walked up the tunnel.

They came to a large room where Akane found eight other men all wearing the Akatsuki cloak.

Pain stood up as she came in and cleared his throat.

The talking and shouting stopped as everyone stared at Akane.

"Everyone I would like you to meet your newest colleague in Akatsuki, Akane Takigawa, please introduce yourself to each other" he said sitting down again.

Akane looked at the men around her and spoke, "My name is Akane Takigawa, I hail from the previously destroyed village of Apple Trees, I live for only one ambition that is to see Konohagakure destroyed, I hope we can get along fairly well but I don't feel such a thing will ever occur at least not in the near future"

At a look from Konan all the members introduced themselves.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, from the village of Mist, ever want to be sliced to straps, come to me" said a very blue ninja with blue hair and beady shark like eyes, he also had gills and wore a scratched Kiri headband. He wore a large bandaged sword to his back.

"Uchiha Itachi, ex-Konoha Ninja" said a handsome black haired ninja with a small ponytail and two creases down his face.

"Deidara, from Iwagakure, don't get in the way of my art or you'll have to be blown up, un" said an energetic blonde with long hair which covered his right eye.

"Zetsu, I was at one point of time a grass ninja, I am the spy for the organization and I feel you'll make the most delicious meal ever" said a man whose face was half white and half black, there was also a huge Venus flytrap growing out of his head.

"I'm Hidan and lemme tell you one thing, I don't take no nonsense from any bitch who gets kicked into this half baked organization, If you irritate me I'll fuck you and then shove a sword down your throat" said a white haired man who had a triangle necklace around his neck and a triple bladed scythe attacked to his back.

"My name is Kakuzu and I'm the Akatsuki financial manager, while you're here you will be aiding me in raising the financial condition of Akatsuki" said a masked man whose eyes were a mysterious glowing green.

"As you know my name is Konan and I'm the Leader's partner, if you ever have any problem you can consult me" said Konan.

Finally Sasori spoke up, " Akasuna no Sasori, I come from the Sand Village, I don't like people bothering with me or making me wait and I don't bother them or make them wait in return"

"And my name is Pain, the Leader of Akatsuki, you may refer to me as Leader, I will be the one who you report to if not Konan, also if you are facing any trouble involving outside villages, bandits, suspicion amongst our subordinates, certain assassins or any such matter which is of importance you are expected to tell me" said Pain.

Akane nodded and then asked Konan about the ring.

"Yes we'll begin the initiation now shall we?" asked Konan as Pain got up and the other members shuffled away.

"Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path" said Pain as a huge statue of an old beast with its hands outstretched appeared out of the wall.

The others teleported to each of the fingers occupying one each when only the left little finger was remaining.

"That place was formerly occupied by Orochimaru of the Sound but he defected after trying to steal Itachi's sharingan and failing" said Konan.

Akane stared at the little finger and then teleported there.

" I will now explain the process, the member's shall all create a sphere of chakra and the ring shall be placed between it, the sole purpose for doing it is so that you may know when you are near your colleagues or send messages to them if in trouble, secondly when the chakra had been absorbed by the ring it will then enter into a bond with your own chakra and you will place it on your finger for the bond to be complete, the finger you put it ion is the same finger you're standing on, make sure to put enough of you chakra in so that the ring realizes that it's owner is you" said Pain.

Akane nodded and all the members preformed a hand sign and a staring of chakra from all nine of them started forming a round circle in the middle.

Soon chakra was flowing from their hands into the sphere and after ten minutes Pain took a white ring embedded with a black stone and threw it accurately into the sphere.

"Now it's your turn Akane, form the hand seals we did and send your chakra to the ring" said Pain as Akane obeyed.

Very soon a violet string of chakra was pulsating to the ring.

"_Her chakra color is different, it even feels different"_ thought Sasori as he stared at the unusual chakra.

By now a strange sensation was building up inside Akane, it was as if the ring was becoming a part of her, like it was merging with her life force.

Very soon the black stone in the ring gave a spark and immediately everyone except Akane stopped sending their chakra.

"You can stop now Akane" ordered Pain.

Akane who had been drawn into a trance did not heed.

"Kisame wake her up" ordered Pain.

Kisame who was on the left ring finger reached over and shook the pale kunoichi roughly.

She snapped and glared at him, "May I know what that was for?"

"To save you from falling off and bursting your head, try to concentrate more woman" replied Kisame.

"I have a name you oversized sushi" retorted Akane.

"What was that? You wanna fight me you daydreaming loller?"Yelled Kisame grabbing his samehada.

"I'm sure I could spare a little time to put you in the bowl and squash you and mix you and then put you in front of a hungry kid so you can actually do something good for once" yelled Akane.

"Enough, the ceremony is complete, you all will not fight now, save up your chakra we're going to begin the sealing of the Shukaku day after tomorrow am I clear?" asked Pain jumping down from his position.

Everyone followed his suit and walked off towards there own bedrooms.

Soon Akane found herself in an unending tunnel filled with.

"_Was this the passage to my room?"_ thought Akane staring at the doors.

Then she came to a door named Library and entered.

Inside she found rows and rows of books filling the large room. It had a musty smell about it and no sunlight shone in through the dust infested windows. The books were in good condition but appeared rather old. A faint light lit the room.

Akane went up to the books and ran her hands over them.

She was exploring more when there came a voice.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you here, Leader asked us all to rest" said Sasori.

Akane glared at him and replied, "I might say the same thing to you"

"I have been in this organization long enough to know my limits, you on the other hand have not even been here for three hours" said Sasori.

"It doesn't matter whether I am here for three hours or three years" spoke Akane haughtily.

"Are you lost?" asked Sasori with an amused look in his eyes.

Akane became stiff, "Of course not, why should I be lost? I'm not a seven year old child"

"Of course your not, how old are you anyways? Thirty- three?" asked Sasori.

"Y-you, how dare you, firstly it's rude to ask a woman her age and secondly I'm only twenty-two" yelled Akane going purple.

Sasori's face now showed mock surprise, "I see, well you certainly look much older than that"

Akane pushed him aside and stomped past him and walked out towards the left.

"Your room is to the right" called out Sasori as she turned and gave him a death glare.

"_This girl is interesting, but it's back to my puppets for me now, I'll have to perfect it to capture the next assigned beast I have"_ thought Sasori.

Far away, in the depths of Wind Country in a brothel there sat a twenty-seven year old man with a large sword attached to his back.

His eyes were slightly brown and he had black hair which framed his rugged face. He was of a muscular build and had a Missing-Ninja Hunter symbol on him.

"Another successful mission then son?" asked the aged bartender as he handed a large glass of sake to the man.

"Yeah, took out, forty three of them" he replied sipping his sake.

"That's quite a record" replied the bartender.

"Yeah, got paid a heavy lot as well" replied the man as a girl of twenty wearing a kimono which revealed a lot of cleavage came and sat down beside him and hooked herself to his arms.

"When are you going to spend the night with me again baby? I'm missing you so much" she said.

The man smirked and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Don't worry sweetie, I just have a job to complete in the grass and then we'll have some fun together" he said huskily.

"The grass? Oh don't go there, I heard that the Akatsuki have gathered there" said the woman.

"Don't you think I'm capable of handling them baby?" asked the man his hands now roving the woman.

"It's not that, I just feel you should be careful around them" said the woman looking worried.

"Don't worry, I will be, I know you'll be rooting for me" said the man smiling.

"I'll always be rooting for you; I love you… Akio-Sama"

Well that's it for this chapter. Hope you liked it. See you next time and please review.


	6. First Mission: Clash with Assassin

Hi guys welcome back. Now from this point on I'll be changing the canon storyline a bit. I mean I can't have Sasori dying right now can I? So please let me know if you feel something's a bit off. Please read, enjoy, and review.

The sealing of the Shukaku was complete but Pain had detected that intruders had entered the cavern thus Sasori and Deidara had been sent to drive them away.

"Do you think the two of them will be able to manage them?" asked Konan.

"Undoubtedly, Sasori and Deidara are a formidable fighting unit" said Pain.

"But you do know they disagree with each other on numerous counts?" asked Konan.

"Hm" replied Pain walking into his office.

Sakura panted in exhaustion and pain as she stood beside Chiyo who looked extremely tired and almost completely out of chakra.

A little distance away there lay the puppet body of Sasori, stabbed through the heart by the puppets of his parents.

"We did, it, Chiyo-Baa-san" said Sakura weakly.

Chiyo merely nodded.

Sakura did not probe further.

"_It must have been hard for her to kill her own grandson"_ thought Sakura.

They trudged away supporting each other and soon joined Naruto and Kakashi who had just finished battling Deidara.

Meanwhile near the base there was lot of activity going on.

Around the lifeless puppet stood the remaining member's projections.

"I did not think Sasori would turn out to be so weak" said Zetsu.

"It is surprising, he was pretty experienced and strong" remarked Kisame.

"Sasori-San was strong, but he was not invincible, there were certain flaws in his way of battle, undoubtedly he was an extremely good puppeteer but that just isn't enough some times" said Itachi quietly.

"Who fucking cares if that loser got killed, by some young bitch and a piece of flesh too, poof" spat Hidan.

"Dear, dear, looks like Mister I-Me-Myself got himself killed, well good riddance to bad rubbish" spoke Akane staring at the stabbed puppet.

"We don't talk of a departed comrade like that, please be clear about that Takigawa-San" said Konan coldly.

"I'm sorry but I don't think that he was much of a comrade yet Konan-san, none of you are, and that's the simple truth" said Akane plainly.

Pain did not say anything throughout.

"Well we'll have to find a new member especially since Deidara is not capable of working alone" said Konan.

"Give the new girl to him then" remarked Kisame.

"No, Takigawa-San's fighting style will be very mismatched along with Deidara's, we have to find someone else" said Pain.

"That problem is solved Leader-Sama, I have recruited a very able subordinate of mine, his fighting style is unique and can adjust to anybody's style" said Zetsu.

"Yes I have already given thought to Tobi and seeing the situation I think it will be best if we take him in" said Pain.

Kisame, Hidan, Konan gaped at him in surprise.

"_He never agrees to take in members so easily, I wonder if this Tobi is so strong"_ thought Konan.

"Also inform Kakuzu of this matter, he will need to make the financial arrangements likewise, I will leave that task up to you Takigawa-San" said Pain.

"If you say so" said Akane.

"Zetsu take the remains inside, we will arrange to have them deposed of later on" said Konan.

_(Konohagakure- Hokage's office)_

"Well done all of you, because of you the Kazekage is safe and we're one Akatsuki member short" said Tsunade.

In front of her stood Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Gai, Lee, Tenten and Neji.

"But it was really Chiyo-san who saved Gaara" spoke Kakashi.

"Yes, she did the right thing, its justified now" said Tsunade.

"I'm glad she wasn't a stubborn old witch after all" said Naruto.

"Anyways did you manage to gather any other information on the Akatsuki?"Asked Tsunade.

After a full report had been made all of them left and Tsunade sat thinking.

Just then there were sounds of hurried footsteps and Shizune burst into the office. She was dressed in her jounin uniform which looked as though it had been ripped thousand times over. Her hair was disheveled and there were marks on her checks, her arms and legs had scratches.

"Tsunade-Sama, you won't believe it, it was so horrible, they just came back and started attacking, we couldn't do a thing, we were outnumbered," cried Shizune.

"What on earth are you talking about? Pull yourself together and think calmly Shizune" said Tsunade frowning.

"The mission you sent us on to find out what happened to the Anbu troop you had sent earlier to the Waterfall. Well we located all of them dead in a cave and we were inspecting the cause of death when suddenly they came to life and began attacking us" said Shizune.

"Are you sure they were dead? Because you know that there are only a handful of people who can bring back the dead" asked Tsunade.

"Positive, they just opened their eyes and began attacking, there was no chakra signature except ours and some specks here and their but apart from that nothing, and it wasn't a puppet technique" said Shizune.

"Do you have any idea who might be behind this?" asked Tsunade.

"The others suspect that it's that assassin who wore a black cloak, because they showed signs of being attacked with the same sword that was used to kill those men three years ago" said Shizune.

"Hmm, The Black Assassin?" asked Tsunade looking thoughtful.

"Yes, yes, the same" replied Shizune nodding vigorously.

" Ok I want you to return to the cave, but this time you're going prepared and I'm sending Katsuyu along just in case, you'll take a platoon of Jounin's and investigate, go rest now, you're leaving in five days ok?" asked Tsunade.

Shizune bowed and left the room limping slightly.

" _Shizune is an accomplished kunoichi and an expert healer, for her to suffer this extent of damage that too only from re-animated corpses is very unusual, I'll have to give this matter high priority from now onwards"_ thought Tsunade reading Shizune's report.

Pain sat in his office with two scrolls in front of his desk.

Konan had been sent off on a mission, the others were all heading for the Rain Base, and he would leave as well in a few hours.

Pain stared at the two scrolls before him each of which was tied with a string with a scorpion buckle embedding the ownership of Sasori.

_FLASHBACK_

"_So can I accept you to be a part of Akatsuki now?" asked Pain as a twenty year old human Sasori stood before him._

"_You have my word, I will serve you with the best of my abilities, I have but one request, should I ever be captured by an enemy you will please reverse summon me using this scroll, and should I ever die then you would please follow the instruction given in this particular scroll" said Sasori handing over two scrolls to Pain._

_Pain looked at them and nodded, "Very well, your request shall be granted"_

"_Thank you, Leader-Sama" said Sasori bowing._

_END FLASHBACK_

Pain fingered the scroll which he had been asked to use should Sasori ever die.

He laid the scroll out over the table and carefully read what it said.

Pain's eyes looked impressed as his eyes roved the neat and small writing.

The scroll apparently gave instructions to revive Sasori's human body. Apparently when he had died he hadn't turned his body into a puppet, instead he had kept his true human body in a safe placed and had operated his heart to be put into the container which controlled his puppet.

"Should his heart ever be killed it is possible to revive it if we have it operated into his human body" read Pain.

It would not be possible without a skilled medical ninja and certain operations. It was an expensive process.

"_But Sasori's value will exceed that since he has shown he can be trusted in most jobs, also I gave him my word"_ thought Pain as he prepared to commence with the operation.

Konan was just showing Akane around in the Head Base situated in Amegakure when a projection of Pain formed between them.

"I shall be delayed by two days, the task at hand is of utmost importance, tell Takigawa-San to visit Kakuzu and learn what do to from him" said the projection and vanished.

"I hope nothing's wrong" said Konan looking worried.

" Oh I'm sure it's a trivial matter, all high ranking people like to refer to feeding their cats as task of utmost importance, well anyways, I'll just find that masked guy with green eyes right?" said Akane and not waiting for an answer she stalked off.

Konan stared at her speechless to the last extent.

"_T-That girl drives me mad"_ she thought going red and walking away in the opposite direction.

"_Task of utmost importance, yeah right, probably hanging out with some sluts and having a glorious time while I'm stuck in this ever-raining, miserable city with psychotics like me surrounding me and a chance to die any moment, unbelievable"_ thought Akane as she came to a door marked Financial Manager.

She knocked on the door and pushed it open when a voice came "Come in"

The room inside was neat and tidy. There was a table and a very large safe at the end. All the windows were barred with metals and chakra seals and the safe looked like it had been permanently sealed shut.

"Sit down Takigawa-San" said Kakuzu motioning to the chair placed opposite to him.

"Leader will be delayed by two days so he has told me to refer to you for the jobs I need to do" said Akane.

"Yes he has left a list of things for you to do with me" said Kakuzu rummaging through the many papers placed on his desk.

He finally took out one and read out from it.

" Your first task shall involve going down to the main part of the village, apparently there is a man there who has broken a deal made to our organization, he is refusing to pay money for our services and thus you are to eliminate him and take whatever he has on him" said Kakuzu.

"Do we have a photo of this man/'asked Akane.

"Yes, here it is" said Kakuzu handing over a photo.

The picture showed a fat, man who had long hair done up elaborately, his chin was thin and his eyes were black. His arms were tightly wrapped around two young women and they were clearly sitting at a brothel.

"Rumor has it that this man has hired a very trained and powerful assassinator as his guard, so you would do well to be careful, he usually likes to hang around the bars or any places where he can obtain entertainment or pleasure. According to spies he is currently staying at a hotel called Passions" said Kakuzu disdainfully.

Akane stood up, "Very well, I will see to it that this man does not see the light of another day, any thing else that I should know?"

" Just this that the assassin hired should not be killed, for reasons unknown the Leader wants this assassin to live so you will either knock him out or just leave him there" said Kakuzu.

Akane nodded and taking the photo she walked out.

Akio sat on a bed shuffling through papers.

Beside him was the slim body of a young woman who was still fast asleep.

"_Hmm, Akatsuki, S-Rank Criminals, they will be dangerous whoever they are, It was a good idea to bring backup just in case"_ he thought getting off the bed and putting on a shirt.

The woman on the bed stirred a little and then sat up groaning.

"Morning sleepy head" said Akio.

"Oh what Akio-Sama, ouch I have such a headache" said the woman rubbing her head.

"Serves you right for following me here and then hammering my door in the middle of the night" said Akio playfully.

"I love you Akio-Sama, what I did was merely a trivial thing" said the woman.

Akio bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you too Rika, I always will" he whispered into her ear.

Rika shivered as Akio's lips met hers and for a moment the two of them stood kissing each other.

Just then there came a knock at the door, a knock which clearly said hurry up and get here.

Akio frowned and pulled himself away and went to open the door.

Just he opened it an eighteen year old maid fell at his feet and began weeping.

"What the heck? Who are you?" asked Akio trying to kick her away.

"Please, you've got to help, Nendo-Sama is in big trouble, I spotted one of those black cloak red clouds warriors near the outskirts today, you said they were going to kill master, please do something" screamed the hysterical girl.

"Damn they got here faster than I thought, did you see his face?" asked Akio grabbing some weapons.

"From the figure I would say it was a woman but I couldn't see her face because of a kasa hat she was wearing" cried the maid.

"Rika I'll be going now, get dressed and leave this village as soon as possible," cried Akio running out.

"Akio-Sama wait let me come with you" cried Rika getting up but by the time she reached the door Akio was nowhere in sight.

Akane sat on a large shady tree just beside a huge mansion.

Nobody was able to see her because of her powerful camouflage jutsu.

The man in question was at the moment taking a shower in the largest bathroom.

Just then there was the feeling of a powerful chakra signature heading towards her.

"_It must be that assassin guard of his"_ thought Akane, _"I must act swiftly"_

She threw a kunai into the window of the bathroom where it exploded because of the paper tag attached to it.

Jumping in through the now gaping hole Akane saw a man in his forties with a pot belly, a towel wrapped around his lower body and a shower cap on his head.

"A-a-akatsuki" he stammered moving back.

"I'm very sorry to disturb your bath time sir, but I just had to come in and kill you quickly" said Akane producing a long sword in her hand.

" P-p-please forgive me, I don't have any money right now, I'll pay you back in triple as soon as I get the money I beg you please don't kill me" said the man grabbing Akane's legs.

Akane kicked him away in a swift motion.

" I'm sorry, our leader doesn't think you will, now I mustn't delay any longer, time is limited and we must make good use of it" said Akane raising her sword and bring in down.

But instead of the sound of squelching flesh she heard the clang of two metals.

She looked and saw a young man had appeared between her and the target. He wielded a large sword which was at the moment pushing away Akane's sword.

"_He looks so familiar, but, where have I seen him before?"_ thought Akane staring into the brown eyes of the man.

With a huge push he threw off Akane's sword and stood facing her.

Akane snapped out of her daydream.

"Oh dear, well anyways, I was never a sucker for swordfights" said Akane.

"I won't let you kill him Akatsuki Scum" said the man.

"Hmm, the famous assassin guard, tell me what is your reason for protecting this man?" asked Akane.

"It's none of your business" cried Akio swinging his sword.

Akane easily dodged it but her eyes widened in shock as she saw another of the man coming from behind her with the sword.

"_Shadow clones"_ she thought.

A barrier formed between the two.

Then Akane wasted no time and performed a hand sign.

"Summoning Jutsu" she cried slamming her fist down and summoned three large eagles.

The eagles flew at Akio screeching and scratching.

"Take this, Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu" cried Akio as a large dragon formed breaking the roof.

The eagles flew away a little distance but then something happened to them.

With a flick of the eye they were sliced into two.

"He creates the dragon as a diversion to distract the summoner and gets rid of the summons in a second, a formidable fighter indeed" thought Akane.

"Is that all you've got? How pathetic, I can't see how you entered the Akatsuki even though I despise the organization itself" spat Akio.

Just then Akane appeared in front of him and gave him a heavy kick in his stomach.

"Does that end your doubt?" asked Akane.

Akio grinned and burst into smoke.

"_Drat another shadow clone,"_ thought Akane as the fire dragon came hurtling towards her.

In a trice Akio appeared behind her and kicked her towards the incoming dragon.

With a huge roar the dragon swallowed the black cloaked figure and burst in a large explosion.

Panting slightly Akio turned to face his client who was no longer shivering with fear.

"Well done young man," he said getting to his feet.

"I must have my fees now you promised 15 million ryo" said Akio.

"Yes of course, come along with me I'll show you to the safe, but let me dress before that, will you?" said the man.

After ten minutes Akio found himself in a large elaborate room in front of a human sized safe which was embedded with all kinds of jewels and looked to be made of silver.

The man opened the safe and motioned for him to follow him inside.

Akio stepped in cautiously and the moment he entered into the darkness the door of the safe closed with a bang and Akio found himself trapped.

Facing his client he spoke in a cold voice, "You do know I can easily break out of here right?"

The man gave him a twisted leer and dissolved into a lime green fluid which took the form of a tiger and pounced on Akio.

Struggling to get the fluid off Akio tripped over a large chest and fell. His eyes couldn't see, his nose seemed to be stuffed his lungs were bursting his mouth was full as well.

It was a horrible period when he found himself slowly dying from lack of air. But just as he though he was finished the fluid removed itself and took the form of Akane.

" Be thankful that I am under orders to keep you alive otherwise it would have been my utmost pleasure to torture you for a much longer period before killing you" said Akane as she gave him a swift kick and he flew back and hit his head on the metal wall of the safe.

The crumpled body of the owner was lying at a distance from him.

"_He will be blamed if someone finds out, which would be a terrible thing to do, let someone else take the blame for my sin"_ thought Akane.

"_Just as I like it"_ she thought smiling as the safe door swung open she closed again as she stepped out.

Well how was that? Please let me know how you feel and don't worry, you'll see a lot of Sasori in the chapters to come. Keep faith and goodbye.


	7. The Scorpion Revived

Welcome back guys to the seventh chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. This chapter we finally see Sasori revived. So please sit back, enjoy and review.

Akane sat in the infirmary of the Amegakure Base tending to the wounds she received on her arm.

"_Even though that guy was weaker than me his reflexes and moves were faster and sharper, the problem with me is that I rely too much on my defense and leave out parts of my offense, looks like a little more training is required"_ thought Akane.

Just then Konan walked in and banged the door shut. She looked mutinous and her face was red from anger and embarrassment.

"What's got you so riled up?" asked Akane.

Konan did not answer but merely gulped down a large glass of water.

"Umm are you sure you want to drink more of that, you'll burst" said Akane warily.

"I can't help it, I feel as if I want to die" cried Konan.

"And may I know why?" inquired Akane.

" Deidara, Hidan and Kisame got into a huge fight concerning the size of their genitals" cried Konan, " I mean it was ok till they were yelling about it but then in full view of me then simply dropped their pants and started comparing their lengths not even bothering about what the rest of us would think"

Konan drew in deep breaths.

"But surely that hasn't got you that riled up" said Akane gulping down some soldier pills.

" No but when I ask them to stop doing what they were and leave Hidan and Kisame just grinned and flaunted it even more to me, can you believe it? Hidan even had the audacity to ask whether I was interested or not" said Konan.

"Well were you interested?" asked Akane.

Konan gave her an incredulous look at which Akane smiled and said, "Just kidding"

"I'm seriously going to complain to Pain about this, they've just gone too far today, on top of that they have no consideration for the fact that our standards are falling, Sasori is dead, Hidan and Kisame failed their last missions, Itachi is having problems with his eyes on top of that Pain isn't even here to sort things out, and finally…"

Konan could not finish her sentence as there came the sound of running feet and the door burst open revealing a cloaked man with an orange swirly mask on his face which had a hole near the right eye.

"Konan-San, Konan-San, please come fast our Leader has returned from the Grass Village, Konan-San" cried the energetic man jumping around.

"This is Tobi, our newest addition, and Deidara's new partner" said Konan looking defeated and weary.

"Maybe we should just go and see if Leader-Sama has any new mission or an announcement or something, after all it's been three days" said Akane.

"Fine it's better than enduring those sick men in the hall or this under grown entity here in the infirmary" said Konan getting up and leaving the room.

Akane found herself alone with Tobi and turned to meet him.

"Umm, hello" she said awkwardly.

" Hello, my name is Tobi, I'm new here and I'm partnered to Deidara-Senpai, I hear you're new as well, we're both in the same boat then, what's your name, do you like it here? I really do although everyone is a bit grouchy but that's fine with me," said Tobi.

Akane looked extremely taken aback at this unending flow of talk, "Umm yes well, I really must run now, mustn't keep the higher ups waiting, denotes disrespect you know, ok bye" said Akane running off.

"_Strange, I feel as if I can't be rude or cold around him at all, with that guy, even though he acts so childishly I just can't find myself enough to be rude or cold to him"_ thought Akane.

She hurried into the meeting room where everyone was gathered.

There was a low hum of mumbles coming from Hidan, Kisame and Deidara in one corner. In the other corner Kakuzu and Itachi stood looking a bit surprised and curious.

Finally Zetsu and Leader-Sama were on the top waiting for Konan and between them was…?

"What the heck? Didn't you go and get yourself killed?" yelled Akane.

The brown eyes looked at her with no emotion in them and kept the cool glare on for sometime.

"Please have a seat Takigawa-San" said Leader as Konan came in followed by a happy Tobi.

"Now as you might have noticed standing beside me is Sasori who you know had been recently killed" said Pain.

"So what's he doing standing up there" asked Kisame.

"Perhaps you would like to explain Sasori" said Leader stepping back.

"I knew that someday would come when my art might face a greater power, and that day came, my own teacher, my grandmother, the only other person even close to being comparable to me in the art of puppetry, along with a moderate kunoichi from Konoha brought down Hiruko, the Third Kazekage, the 100 Puppets and my own puppet body as well" said Sasori speaking calmly.

Akane glanced to see that even Tobi had stopped pulling Deidara and was listening.

"I knew that someday I would meet this kind of power and so I had reserved means to be revived if that happened though it was unlikely, most of the world was under the impression that I had changed my own human body into the puppet but that impression was false, my own human body was simply removed from connection of my heart and kept preserved in safe places" said Sasori ignoring the looks of disbelief.

"I find that hard to believe, if your heart is taken away from you, you die" said Kakuzu.

"I believe I didn't emphasize on the word preserve enough" said Sasori.

When he got no response he sighed.

" I had gotten extremely expririenced medical ninja's from all over the Shinobi world to aid me in this, the medical technique had to be very precise and if a single thing went wrong that would be it" said Sasori.

"And you're saying that not a single thing went wrong?" asked Akane.

"Got fucking lucky didn't you damn bastard" yelled Hidan.

"As I was saying the life preservation technique was used and my heart was transferred to the particular scroll which was placed into the newly created puppet of my body which I believe was the finest piece amongst my collection" said Sasori.

" So if we are to take what you say as the truth then the body you are in now is your own thirty five year old body?" asked Konan curiously.

"No you see when the Life preservation technique was used everything didn't go as it should have, one of my medics turned on me and became a right hand man for my former partner Orochimaru" said Sasori, "My body was preserved but it was not allowed to grow because of a lack of heart at least that was supposed to be it but exactly ten years later when Kabuto went over my body began to show signs of deteriorating so the other medics put in another heart if another into it," spoke Sasori.

Everyone except Leader and Itachi stared at him in shock.

"Is that… is that even possible?" asked Kisame.

"That's very much possible Kisame, I myself have had five hearts which are not mine put into me" spoke Kakuzu.

"Fucking nice, like a lot of heart changing do you puppet master?" asked Hidan.

"You mean you're body has a different heart?" asked Akane.

"Yes, it is the heart of a pathetic mortal boy in the village but thankfully my brain has been fully preserved which gives me the power to take control" said Sasori.

Leader stepped forwards and spoke, "Because we have already recruited Tobi to be partners with Deidara we cannot change that now, thus we are left with two options, Sasori partnered with Zetsu or Sasori partnered with Takigawa-San"

"Noooo, why don't you just put Tobi with the girl and let Danna become my partner again, un?"Yelled Deidara.

"I have made my decision Deidara we will partner Sasori with Takigawa-San because it is essential that Zetsu works alone for his spying purposes" said Pain glaring at Deidara with cold ringed eyes.

"_Just my luck I get stuck with Mr. I-Me-Myself"_ thought Akane.

Sasori seemed to get what she was thinking and gave her an amused look.

"If that is all then I know declare this meeting over, Takigawa-San, Sasori meet me in my office in an hour's time, I will brief you on your next mission" said Pain walking away with Konan and Zetsu at his heels. The others began dispersing as well.

Akane did not wait to get acquainted with her new partner but just stomped off to her own room but before she even had time to sit on her bed there was a knock on her door.

"What is it?" she snapped as Sasori walked in and shut the door after him.

"I merely wished to get acquainted with my new partner Takigawa" he said.

"Why may I ask you feel the need to stand and utter nonsense at me from my doorstep, Akasuna no Sasori?" asked Akane.

"Let's just say it's a formality" replied Sasori with a hint of a smile on his face.

"_Looks like having a different hearts make people different as well even though his brain hasn't changed much"_ thought Akane.

"So I hear from Leader-Sama that you specialize in barriers and fluid techniques" said Sasori.

Akane gave a short nod.

"May I know how you form those fluids?" asked Sasori.

"I won't be giving my secrets to anyone" said Akane.

"Oh really? Might I suggest that you start spilling your guts right now or there will never be the slightest amount of teamwork between us" said Sasori.

If Akane had been taken aback before she was even more surprised now.

"_Well maybe he hasn't changed that much"_ she thought sighing mentally to herself.

"Well, fine" she said reluctantly.

Sasori smiled and sat himself down upon a chair opposite her.

"I fuse them" said Akane shortly.

"Fuse what?" asked Sasori looking confused.

"Them"

"Them as in?" asked Sasori.

"My chakra types, I have the earth and the lighting type naturally, I'm fairly strong in water based jutsu's I combine all three elements to produce an element of my own, the fluid element" said Akane quietly, by now she had curled up on the bed.

"I see, fascinating indeed" said Sasori.

For quiet some time silence reigned over them and neither of them spoke.

"Did you hail from the Village of AppleTrees?"Asked Sasori.

Akane did not reply, her arms tightened around her knees.

"Was it the one that was wiped out by Konoha? Almost fifteen years ago?" asked Sasori prodding a little more.

Again Akane did not reply.

Seeing her rigged position and hunched up back Sasori did not feel like pressing the subject anymore.

Again silence filled the room.

None of them spoke at all until Konan knocked on the door and entered.

"Pain is asking for you two" she said before rushing away.

Akane did not move from her position but remained as rigid as ever. Nor did she loosen the grip on her knees or raise her head.

"Get up, he's asking for us" said Sasori shaking her.

Akane slowly lifted her head and then quickly jumped to her feet and rushed out of the room so fast that Sasori barely had the time to step back.

By the time he had reached Leader's office he found Akane already standing there in her Akatsuki cloak and her ring on her finger.

"Come in Sasori, well seeing that Takigawa-San has just returned from her solo mission and that you have just been revived this mission does not involve any tailed beasts, one of the Missing-Ninja villages up north has a leader who has a deal for us, he says it will worth it and Kakuzu feels that we should take him seriously just in case this is something that might be important to our organization in the future" said Pain rummaging through the papers.

"Are we allowed to judge whether this deal is worth considering or not?" asked Sasori.

"I have worked with you for sometime, I think I can trust your judgment, but even if you feel it could be of slightest help to us do make sure to bring into my notice" replied Pain.

Sasori bowed and turned to leave, Akane turned to follow him but was stopped by Leader.

"Just a moment Takigawa-San, I wish to have a private word with you" said Pain.

Akane faced him as Sasori closed the door softly and went.

"What is it?" she asked.

" It's concerning your second job here in Akatsuki, keeping track of the side mission and helping Kakuzu to raise he financial balance here, while you're at that village go to a bounty hunting station and pick up a list of wanted, bring it back and then we will discuss more all right?" asked Leader.

Akane nodded and left.

Putting on their kasa hats Sasori and Akane began walking through a deep jungle.

Sasori had not worn Hiruko since it was destroyed but was in his ordinary body.

They walked through the forest in silence.

"About earlier, I apologize, it wasn't really my concern" said Sasori.

Akane looked surprised, "You're apologizing? A guy like you? Wow, miracles don't cease to amaze me" she said mockingly.

"I heard you're going to be the new assistant financial chief?' asked Sasori.

"That's right, I'm under that masked guy with green eyes" said Akane.

"Well be careful around him, Kakuzu has been known to have a very short temper, he has killed almost seven of his previous partners" said Sasori.

"Funny he seemed pretty ok when I met him for my first mission" spoke Akane.

"Maybe so but don't try to annoy him or anything, he's been put with Hidan for the sole reason that Hidan is immortal, so don't cross Kakuzu" said Sasori.

"Ok, I won't, thanks for the tip off" said Akane.

"It's not a tip off girl, it's a warning, have you any idea what Kakuzu would do to you if you annoyed him? He would rip out your heart and then squeeze every ounce of blood out off you and then put your heart and blood in a container and sell it to a blood bank or something" said Sasori.

"_Talk about double personality, this guy switches faces faster than the wind moves during a gale"_ thought Akane.

You all had to wait so long for this chapter; I assure you the next one will be out by the end of this week. Thanks for reading and please review.


	8. The Most Sadistic Person in the World

Umm hi guys. Umm… whatever just read the chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

Akane and Sasori stood at the gates of the Village mentioned by Pain.

There were five guards stationed at the gate each with a dangerously glittering sword on their backs.

Akane and Sasori slowly walked towards them and stopped when they raised their swords.

"Hey who are you? Entrance into this village is not allowed for any member of the Ninja Nations" said the chief.

Five thin needles appeared out of the air and stabbed the five guards in their napes. The all fell down unconscious.

"Impressive, what made them faint? "Asked Akane walking on.

"It's a poison I invented many years ago, its, a very useful thing, goes well with my art" said Sasori.

"I see, so you specialize in poisons and puppetry both?" asked Akane.

"The Art of puppetry is nothing very easy to master, do you know how much practice it takes to be able to control an inanimate object like a puppet, make it do your bidding, make it defend you, attack your attackers? Don't speak so casually of things you can't understand" growled Sasori.

"Have you any idea what I can control? I control corpses which to are inanimate objects, they are even more difficult to control because they still have weight left, I don't use chakra strings either, on top of them I have to preserve them, it's much more difficult than your walking lumps of wood" retorted Akane.

"How dare you insult my art like that, once this mission is over I'll show you how far my puppets and I can go" replied Sasori.

"Art my foot, you call those ugly pieces of dead trees art? I've seen seven years old paintings which could be called art rather than those wooden dolls of yours" said Akane.

Then she swiftly dodged as three kunai's flew towards her.

"Never insult my puppets like that again" said Sasori, his face was almost as red as his hair now, his eyes were flashing and his lips were bleeding from biting them so hard.

Akane straightened up, gave him a cold look and walked on.

They soon arrived at the hotel Leader said they would find the man in. Walking in they found everyone shrinking in fear at the sight of their uniforms.

Sasori walked up to the receptionist and banged her desk once, "Yukio Mikage" he said simply.

"R-r-room 354, on t-t-the f-f-fourth floor-r "stammered the woman sweating and trembling for all she was worth.

Sasori and Akane walked on and reached the fourth floor. Stopping in front of the fourth room which had the plaque 354 on it Sasori knocked.

The door opened cautiously and suddenly a whole set of kunai's came flying from inside.

After they had finished shooting a man of forty peeped outside the door.

He saw Sasori and Akane protected by a lime green barrier.

Sasori cleared his throat and spoke, "You didn't have to do anything like that, I am more than capable of looking after myself"

"I didn't do that to save you, you were just standing unfortunately close to me" said Akane and walked into the room.

The man who had been peeping from inside fell down in fear as Akane towered over him.

"Are you Yukio Mikage?"She asked.

The man nodded.

"Explain yourself" said Akane.

"There's no need to explain, if you were truly Akatsuki members you would easily have been able to block, dodge or repel our attack, since you did I can take it for sure you two are indeed Akatsuki members, or at least as powerful as them" said a woman who was sitting on a large chair with her leg draped over the arms of the chair.

She wore a bath robe that reached her knees and water was running down her legs and face indicating that she had just come out of a shower. She held a glass of red wine in her hand.

"And who might you be?" asked Sasori shutting the door after him.

"I'm Yukio's lover, Ami, pleased to meet you, Akasuna no Sasori and unknown girl" said the woman licking a few drops of wine which was running down her pale fingers looking like blood.

"We're not here to deal with your lovers nor to take tests from them, if you wouldn't mind hurrying up, I'm in a hurry" said Akane even more coldly.

"Of course, please have a seat" said Ami pointing to the other two chairs in the room. Yukio jumped on the bed and sat there like a child at a funeral.

Akane and Sasori sat on the chairs having made sure there was no trap in it first.

"I have a proposal which I believe you might find interesting enough, please hear me out completely first and then you may decide whether this is worth your time or not" said Ami.

"Go on woman, don't keep stopping like that" said Sasori.

"Well listen, I hail from the Village Hidden in Waterfalls, I believe a former ninja of that village named Kakuzu is in the Akatsuki, I ant you to kill him" said Ami.

"And what would be our reasons for doing that?" asked Akane.

" If you do it, then I will pay you any amount you want, anything that exists on this planet, which is possible for human ownership, I can give it to you, you want money, jewelry, weapons, resources, revenge, pleasure, assassinations, information, any type of things, I can give it to you" said Ami.

"You seem very confident that you will be able to provide me with whatever I need" said Sasori.

"I am absolutely confident, you can ask for anything within reason and I will get it for you even if it's the last thing I might d" said Ami.

"Answer some questions first, why do you want Kakuzu killed?" asked Akane.

"He destroyed my life, my family's life, my village's life, I want revenge, I want to see him dead," said Ami her eyes now acquiring a dangerous look.

"And your reasons for using this mans name to request our Leader?" asked Akane.

"I didn't know Akatsuki accepted female members as well, I thought if I used a man's name you would have a more serious view on this topic" said Ami.

Sasori stood up, ' I cannot five you an answer right away, but I assure you that in a week you will have our answer, in the mean time you will remain here because we aren't going to search for you all over the ninja world" he said.

" Do not mention this matter to anybody, not even to your own relatives, in fact try not stepping out of the room at all, now that people know your requesting our help your sure to be target to some attack or the other" said Akane.

"Oh don't worry, I have my means of protecting myself, and my love" said Ami crawling onto the bed beside her lover.

"No doubt you do" said Akane walking out and shutting the door behind her. By the time she had taken four steps she heard loud moans and shouts coming from within the room.

As they walked out of the hotel Sasori turned towards her.

"It's possible that Leader might take her request but I think the chances are more that she'll be rejected"

"I really couldn't care less and oh… what's this?" asked Akane seeing a crowed gathered there.

She pushed her way through the crowd and saw three muscular, tall, dirty ninja's beating up a boy of eighteen. A young girl of seven stood behind him yelling for them to stop. A girl with dyed hair and piercing was holding the child and laughing at the sight before her.

"Oh just an ordinary roadside brawl" said Akane loudly and walked away.

The three men who were doing the beating turned to her.

"Think you could beat us do you babe?" one of them asked.

Akane ignored them and continued to walk on. Sasori who had not even seen the fight glared at her.

"Don't just walk off like that, I hate to be kept waiting" he growled.

Just then one of the three men appeared before Akane and grabbed her neck and lifted her up.

"Pretty neck baby, pity I have to squash it" he said pressing hard.

The neck gave squelch and the whole body burst into acid and oil which fell on the man.

He began screaming as the acid enveloped his body.

Akane's head appeared out of the ground, "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique" said Akane as a dragon made of fire erupted from the ground beneath the shrieking man.

The oil on his body caught on fire and everyone watched in horror as he was hurtled up screaming in agony.

Finally he fell to the ground still alive when the dragon turned and shot down wards and blasted just as it would hit him.

"Noooo, Aniki (Elder Brother)" cried the other two bullies seeing their brother burned to the ground.

"You bitch" yelled one of the men rushing towards her. As he neared her he did hand signs, "Multi Shadow clone Jutsu"

By now everyone had fled in fear of being killed, the street was filled with hundreds of clones all running towards Akane.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave Technique" said Akane taking in a deep breath and beginning to spin her body at an angle which covered 180 degrees.

She began ripping through all of the clones till only four were left. As she stopped she had to stop for moment to keep her head from spinning. The man took advantage of that moment and charged at her with his sword. The blade cut a deep gash in her stomach and opened the wound she had received last time.

Clutching her stomach Akane stumbled back a little, in this situation the second brother also jumped into the battle and both the brothers did hand signs.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flaming Bullet" cried one.

"Wind Release: Turbulent Waves Jutsu" cried the other.

The enhanced fire attack shot towards Akane.

"Barrier Art: Dance of the spider Lily" cried Akane as she twisted and turned and a large flower appeared before her and bloomed. The inside was so broad that it acted as a shield.

The flower had begun to burn when the spider-leg like petals shot forwards and grabbed the man who was performing the fire Jutsu.

He cried out in fear and retreated to a safer distance. The he sliced the petal with his sword but it only regenerated; now even more petals had appeared and all shot like daggers towards the man.

Meanwhile the man using the wind jutsu found that his legs were sinking in a honey like substance and he couldn't move one step.

"Summoning Jutsu" yelled the man who was running and summoned a large vulture whose back he jumped on.

The bird took of in the sky but that didn't stop the petals, it followed the bird up at a much higher speed and soon grabbed the wings of the bird rendering it unable to fly. By then the bird had reached a great height.

The petal suddenly thickened in size and a hole opened and grew larger and Akane stepped out of it.

" Running away is not the best way to et rid of a problem, only cowards to that" said Akane as she moved her wrist a little and five more petals appeared behind her and pierced the man on the bird on his non-vital areas such as his arms, legs fingers.

Akane smiled hearing the scream of the man before her.

She leaned forwards slightly.

"It hurts doesn't it? I'll be merciful and kill you this time" said Akane as a sixth petal appeared behind her and pierced the man's forehead.

She then watched in glee as the man's body toppled over to the ground and fell.

The wines holding the bird retreated as it vanished into smoke.

"No, Onii-san, onii-san (Brother)," yelled the last one watching in horror.

"Feels bad doesn't it? Seeing your own brother like this in front of your eyes?" asked Akane as the petals came down and pierced holes in the now dead body of the second brother.

"Onii-San, Onii-san" he said tears now falling from his eyes.

Just then there was a sound of a scuffle behind her.

Turning Akane stared in shock as a black blade stood inches from her back and the woman who had been holding the girl earlier stood behind her. Her chest pierced by a puppets hand.

"Damn, that one failed as well" yelled the man as he lifted his face. There was no fear, sadness or anything in his eyes.

"It was an act? You just pretended that you were sad at your brother's terrible death? Are you that deceptive?" asked Akane looking shocked.

Sasori now appeared beside her.

"If you get into a fight remember that your opponent remains so throughout whether or not they show sadness.

"Yeah it was an act, I was to distract you till this useless piece of flesh could do away with you" spat the man.

Akane's eyes narrowed, she slapped the man so hard that his neck gave a crack.

She then clapped her hands together so that two earthen walls embedded with nails appeared on either side of the man.

"I was meaning to give you a quick death but now that is not to be so, take that" cried Akane kicking the man in his stomach.

"Ha! That all you got butterfly?" asked the man.

At this the walls closed in a little.

"Every thirty seconds the wall shall move closer, those needles shall prick you in ten minutes, they're a very special poison, they keep healing your wounds but only slightly, so you will be pricked badly, healed and again till the time comes you are completely crushed by the walls, the most painful way for someone to die I think you'll agree" said Akane.

The man's face showed fear at what Akane said, he began struggling to get out of the honey trap.

Meanwhile Akane placed two seals around his arms and two around his legs.

Then she stepped back a little and released them. It summoned two small mouse like creatures who began gnawing at his skin.

"These should make you feel enough pain for the time being" said Akane.

She turned to Sasori, "This will take only twenty minutes, if you want to leave then go on without me, I want to watch this creature suffering" said Akane.

" No I think I have some time, It's interesting to see your torture methods anyways, it's a clever way of inflicting mental and physical pain all together, I think you've just replaced Hidan as the most sadistic person in this world" said Sasori.

Akane simply turned around.

They both watched as the man before them shrieked in pain and agony. He begged for mercy and said he would do anything but to please stop this. At the end of five minutes he broke and begged them to kill him, to rid him of the pain.

Akane simply ignored and watched with pleasure as the walls completely closed around him till they touched each other. The ground below was stained with blood and with a burst of smoke the two walls disappeared.

"Well can we leave now?" asked Sasori.

Akane nodded and kept walking on without looking back.

"Thanks for saving me back then, I really have to be more careful in battles from now on" she said quietly as she and Sasori trudged back to the base.

Sasori looked surprised, "I didn't save you, it would mean lot of tedious question-answering if you got killed so fast in the proceedings, so I merely killed her before she could kill you get it?"

Akane gave a tiny smile, "Of course"

Well that's it. Let me know what you feel. Bye.


	9. Lending a Hand

Hi guys. Firstly I'd like to thank all the people who have reviewed for the past chapter. You're reviews keep me going. Secondly I'd like to apologize for not uploading for so long, you see I was down with malaria and viral fever for a whole week so I was pretty put out. Still now I'll be able to write but next week my exams are starting again so please bear with me. Also I would like you to know that this story now continues from after the death of Orochimaru, and the main change is that Hidan and Kakuzu are alive.

Rain fell in torrents over the village of Amegakure. On the tallest tower on a tongue like formation a cloaked figure with spiky orange hair and piercing sat staring at the dull, overcast sky. His cold ringed eyes non-wavering and a little blank.

"Nagato?" came a voice behind him.

"What is it?"

"Kakuzu is here, you asked him to meet you at three" replied Konan.

Pain got up from his position and turned around and entered the room.

There he found the Akatsuki's financial manager standing with two suitcases in his hands.

" Kakuzu you will be glad to know that the mission requesting your assassination was rejected and when the woman tried turning a little violent Sasori had to dispose of her" said Pain.

Kakuzu nodded once but looked most unconcerned.

"What about your end?" asked Pain.

"My end doesn't have such good news, after the reviving of the Kazekage many of our confederates in Konoha are beginning to doubt our power and are thus trying their own underhand means of getting rid of us, firstly our number three correspondent from Konoha has stopped paying for the loan for the security we lent him last year, secondly these two suitcases have been sent from correspondents five, both contain at least half fake money" said Kakuzu.

"The first problem is easy to solve, I believe that old man still takes protection from us, if he wishes to stop paying then we will stop service, also let the fact leak out that he has been using our organization over the past year" said Pain, "Whereas in the second case, I hate it when people think they can double cross us, assassinate that person immediately"

"I'm afraid Hidan and I have a mission to the stone country and it will be a long one" replied Kakuzu.

"Then send Takigawa-san along, she should be knowing what to do by now, your dismissed" said Pain as Kakuzu bowed and left taking the suitcases with him.

Just then Pain felt a searing pain in his chest and coughed a little.

"Are you all right Nagato, you've not been looking so good recently, are you eating properly?" asked Konan looking worried.

"It's nothing, don't fuss" said Pain straightening up ignoring the hulking pain in his temples. Suddenly his heart gave a massive beat and he clutched at the bed post for support.

Konan watched with dreaded concern as her partner tried to walk back outside but she couldn't ignore his orders so she forced herself to look the other way.

"Konoha? But I just got back from Takigakure, why do I need to go to Konoha right away?" Complained Akane as Sasori and Kakuzu stood in the room.

"For the sole reason that the rest of us are too busy, you will go to Konoha, you will stop all security arranged for this man, leak information of his affliction with us, assassinate this other man and return to headquarters in a week, this you will do alone, these are direct orders from the Leader, you would do well to follow them" said Kakuzu walking out of the room.

Akane sighed in frustration and began preparing a medical kit.

"I thought you liked creating chaos in Konoha" said Sasori watching her.

"I don't enjoy creating chaos" replied Akane shortly.

"That torture session was pretty chaotic" said Sasori, "The man's body was hardly recognizable afterwards"

" Goes to show that everyone looses their temper once in a while, nobody can remain eternally calm however much they try, eternal calm like eternal peace is a thing no Shinobi has ever or even has a chance of obtaining" said Akane zipping her bag shut and strapping it across her left shoulder.

"Do you really believe that?" asked Sasori quietly.

"I don't believe, I know, I am sure, but I don't expect everyone to agree with me, everyone has their own personal views on these matters, best to respect them, now if you will excuse me then I will be able to leave for my mission" said Akane walking out of the room.

Stepping out into the streets of Amegakure Akane walked quickly with a barrier jutsu over her head so as to prevent getting wet. In two days she had crossed over the border and was in the Fire country.

As she walked down the typical country road she approached an inn where a particular loud noise seemed to erupt.

"_I wonder what's going on"_ she thought as she stepped near the side wall and peeped in at the window.

A teenage blonde boy with blue eyes and whisker marks down his chin was standing on top of a large man who looked like a thug. Behind this was a girl with bright pink hair, a pale boy with a belly shirt and a man with a mask over his face and silver hair.

"Next time you think of robbing innocent people you'll be going directly to prison get it?" questioned the blonde boy.

The thug nodded weakly as several people cheered and shouted insults at the fallen man.

"_Hm, nothing of interest, I might as well leave" _thought Akane shifting from her position and walking away from the inn.

She walked on some more and suddenly came to a place where a small waterfall was gushing into a tiny spring a small cave hid behind the sheet.

"This should be a good spot for sleeping tonight" said Akane aloud when she heard a twig crack and swung kunais behind her.

She saw her kunai fell short of a small bird which was sitting on the nearby branch with a larger bird protectively standing before it.

She strode over to the tree where the larger bird screeched a little and flapped its wings warningly.

"Don't worry, I won't harm you, you just took me by surprise back then" she said softly.

The bird chirped a little suspiciously but stopped beating its wings, it cautiously hopped onto Akane's outstretched finger. When it became sure that she wasn't going to harm them the smaller bird hopped on her other finger as well.

Suddenly there was a slight gust of wind and all the bird flew away in fright.

Akane turned her head to find the blonde boy from the inn shooting a blue ball of compressed chakra towards her.

"Barrier Art: Dance of the Dragon Flames" she said as a flaming shield appeared before her.

Enhanced with the wind chakra from the ransengan the shield blazed even more and a fire dragon emerged from it and surrounded the boy.

"Naruto" cried his teammates running towards the fire.

The masked man performed a few hand signs, "Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu"

A large jet of water formed and extinguished the fire and the night became dark again as the dragon faded away.

"How many times do we have to tell you not to go charging in head-on" cried the girl checking for injuries.

"Sorry Sakura-Chan, she was just there, I couldn't hold myself" said the boy getting up.

"Shows how less your ability of control is, you need a lot of disciplinary training" said the pale boy.

Akane watched all this with mild interest not attempting to attack but then she remembered the fourth member of the group. Following her instinct, she jumped up as a hand forced itself out of the ground and narrowingly missed her ankle.

He now showed himself completely as he stepped out of the earth.

"How many times are you going to try that same old trick, it's getting old" complained Naruto.

"You'd be surprised at how many missing ninja can't dodge attacks like those" replied Kakashi coolly.

"Ahem, I hate to interrupt but I was wondering if you were planning to stand there chatting all night or if there was any pretext for this sudden attack on me" said Akane coldly.

"You keep your mouth shut, we'll attack you when we like" said Naruto.

Akane narrowed her eyes as the pale boy took out a scroll and painted something. Just then four ink lions pounced out of the scroll. At the same moment Sakura hit the ground and it began cracking up ominously.

Akane jumped from rock to rock when a lion attacked her. From the other side Naruto and another lion jumped at her.

"Barrier Art: Close and Far Shield" said Akane as suddenly all the lions and the four people around her were attracted towards her and then suddenly they were thrown away in many different directions.

"Water Release: Water Prison Dome" said Akane as four water spheres formed around her four attackers. Each tried to swipe and get out using various methods but they found their chakra being drained away as well.

Suddenly Kakashi's sphere exploded with a burst and he shot forwards with a raikiri in his hand and his sharingan blazing.

"Shadow Close Technique" said Akane creating a close before her which stopped the raikiri from hitting her but while Kakashi's protruded hand remained in that position Akane spat a blob of her deadly fluid which enveloped his arm.

Kakashi's eyes widened as the fluid began forcing itself into his arms and quickly he grabbed a katana from within his uniform and cut of his right arm before the fluid could spread any more.

"No, Kakashi-sensei" yelled Naruto as Kakashi collapsed wincing with pain.

"Very good, many people don't seem to realize or rather hesitate before doing the needful, I'm surprised you knew that to get rid of the fluid you have to sever the body part that it has attacked itself to. You are well informed in jutsu information, Copy Ninja Kakashi if I'm not wrong" said Akane.

Just then the sphere containing Naruto disappeared and he fell on the floor gasping and spluttering for breath. By then the other two shields fell away as well.

"Drat, this technique is a little tough to hold, well anyways, I'll leave you to catch your breath and get some medicine for your sensei" said Akane suddenly as smoke bombs fell from apparently nowhere and purple smoke filled the area.

"Don't breath it, it's a mild poison" cried Sakura as Sai clamped a hand over his nose, but by then Naruto and Kakashi and already inhaled the fumes and had collapsed.

"Tsunade-Sama, we have an emergency" cried Shizune running into the hokage's office.

"Don't we always? What's happened now?" asked Tsunade looking thoroughly bored.

"An akatsuki member entered the fire country, in fact rumor has it that she's inside Konoha," said Shizune.

Tsunade sat up now looking tensed.

"Kakashi-san's team fought her but she escaped leaving Kakashi poisoned and with one arm, and over in south market area there's been a murder of a man who previously was an ally of Danzou-San" said Shizune, sweat running down her forehead.

" Dispatch an Anbu squad to hunt down this akatsuki immediately, also seal all the exits out of the village, make sure that there is extra security all over the village, don't let any strange person escape" cried Tsunade as Shizune bowed and ran out of the office.

Near the gates of Konoha lot of activity was taking place.

"Quick, we'll have backup in a little while, be alert, that woman could be anywhere, I heard she injured Kakashi san and managed to escape without a scratch" cried Izumo as he and five other chuunins assembled around the gates.

"Wow she must be really powerful to pull that off, I've fought Kakashi-San and he's tough" replied Izumo.

"Hm but seeing that she's in the akatsuki the woman must be powerful as well" said another chuunin.

"True, that akatsuki did manage to defeat the Kazekage single handedly they are renounced for their strength" said Iruka.

"Umm, hey guys, I wonder if this is my imagination but is it getting colder around here?" asked Kotetsu.

"Yeah now that you mention it, it is colder than usual" replied one of his fellow guards.

For a moment none of them spoke but then suddenly Izumo jumped, "Kai" he cried as the area around them distorted and they found themselves standing at the gates which were now wide open and a slight breeze blowing around them.

"Damn, it was a genjutsu, we let her get away, you, go inform the Hokage immediately, we'll be here awaiting further orders" said Kotetsu looking depressed as one of the chuunins rushed away to spread the news.

Akane leaped through the trees outside Konoha smiling to herself.

"_The Konoha chuunins are well trained, they got out of that genjutsu much faster than I expected them to, anyways they'll probably send someone after me now,"_ she thought.

Just then a kunai landed in front of her and blasted with an explosive tag.

Managing to duck under a tree bough, Akane escaped the complete impact of the bomb but received some burns on her arm.

"_I didn't expect them to reach me so fast"_ she thought frowning to herself.

Just then another kunai embedded itself in the branch above her but this time she was ready.

A blue barrier formed between her and the branch and she escaped its impact.

"Ok that's it, Fire Release: Dragon Flame Blitz Jutsu" she cried shooting balls of fire at every tree in the vicinity.

As predicted her attackers jumped out of their hiding places and landed on the rock in front of her.

There were four of them. One girl and three boys.

The girl had red eyes, matching hair color, and a strange hairstyle, her hair was short, pointy, and unkempt on the right side, while on the other side it was long, pin-straight and combed on her left side. She wore brown glasses, short black shorts, and long black thigh high stockings with shoes.

The tallest member of the group had spiky orange hair and wore a black shirt, tan pants, and a purple cloth that looked like a curtain. He had bracelet shaped symbols on his palms and a calm face.

The third member had white hair with a light-blue tint to it, purple eyes, and wore a matching purple sleeveless shirt with gray pants. He wore a belt around his waist with water bottles attached to it, and another belt around his waist that held a huge thick sword.

The last member and the obvious leader wore a white long-sleeved shirt which was open at the torso, with a small white and red fan on his collar. He wore black pants with a blue cloth hanging from halfway up his stomach to his knees. He also wore a purple rope around his waist, tied in a bow. He had black spiky hair and similar eyes. He had light skin. His hair hung over both sides of his face to roughly frame his cheeks.

"Well, well, looks like the moles have finally slipped out of hiding" taunted Akane.

"Watch your mouth you witch, you're lucky we aren't killing you right here" shouted the girl.

Akane let out a scream of derisive laughter. Then she started at the girl as if she had just said some extremely funny joke.

The white haired boy grabbed his sword and swung it forwards.

"No, don't attack now" ordered the black haired boy.

"But Sasuke, can't I just have a swipe?" asked the sword carrier.

"I thought I told you no" said Sasuke Uchiha coldly.

The other shrank back gazing resentfully at their leader.

Sasuke turned to Akane and spoke, "You are an Akatsuki"

" I know I am, I wonder what your reason for attacking me is, you are not from any of the hidden villages, I cannot see a headband so that must mean you are missing ninjas" said Akane.

"If you are in the Akatsuki you will be knowing the location of Itachi Uchiha" said Sasuke calmly though his eyes were glinting dangerously.

"Itachi Uchiha? Oh yes I do know his location but I don't see what that has to do with this charming conversation we're having right now" said Akane dryly.

The red haired girl threw a kunai at Akane which she caught lazily between her fingers.

"Don't attack, how many times do I have to tell you that" said Sasuke his voice acquiring a dark tone.

"Sorry, it's just that she's getting on my nerves, why don't we just force the truth out of her, she's outnumbered" said Karin.

"I'm asking you for the last time, tell me where Itachi Uchiha is or else we'll have to force it out of you" said Sasuke.

"It's against our code to speak of our locations to outsiders, if you want to know, you have to fight" said Akane.

"Fine then, but don't say I didn't warn you" said Sasuke taking out his sword.

Suddenly he disappeared and appeared behind Akane and slashed her. She ducked and threw explosive tags at Sasuke.

"Water Release: Water Orb Jutsu" said Suigetsu as a orb of water clashed with the tags making them wet and useless.

Suigetsu then jumped forwards and the two swordsmen ran towards Akane.

"Earth Release: Earth Spears Jutsu" cried Akane as several sharp earthen spears rose out of the ground and shot towards the incoming attackers.

Sasuke's eyes glowed red with the sharingan as he easily dodged the spears. Suigetsu was not so quick and got stabbed in his left thigh.

"Damn, "he cried as he pulled out the spear and as a red stain began spreading on his thigh.

Sasuke finally reached Akane and swung his sword.

Akane dodged a distance but even though the sword did not touch her a deep gash appeared around her waist.

"A lightning enhanced sword I see" she said clutching her waist trying to ignore the pain.

Just then the orange haired man appeared beside her and punched her but Akane burst into some.

The three men grouped together warily,.

"Karin, where is she?" asked Sasuke.

"Behind you, 2 yards away" cried Karin using her sensory skills.

Sasuke's sword suddenly extended itself in the direction Karin pointed and pierced a tree from which Akane jumped out, with now a light gash on her shoulder.

"You know, for an akatsuki you don't seem to be very strong" taunted Suigetsu.

Rage welled up within Akane as she disappeared and appeared beside Suigetsu.

Before any body could react she had grabbed his hand and swung him around and threw him towards a burning tree.

Jugo, the orange haired man jumped and caught Suigetsu before he could crash into a tree. But when he touched Suigetsu he found it turned into a fluid substance and attached itself to his arms.

Meanwhile Akane had swung the real Suigetsu downwards and then jumped herself and kicked him to the ground hard. Immediately she was forced to move from that spot because Karin threw poisoned needles.

Akane jumped onto a tree but to her shock Sasuke appeared directly behind her and in a moment his sword would pierce her stomach when instead on the squelch of flesh there was the sound of wood splintering.

To Sasuke's shock he saw the thing he pierced was not Akane but a wooden puppet with black mop like hair, two wavered eyes and several holes in over his stomach and chest. From the holes emerged knives which pierced Sasuke.

"No, Sasuke," cried Karin as Sasuke fell.

Akane meanwhile had hardly moved from her spot. She stood in shock staring right into the face of her partner Sasori.

"W-what are you d-doing here?" she asked.

"Lending you an arm, or rather twenty arms" said Sasori smiling slightly as he opened a scroll and with a burst of smoke ten puppets with red cloaks around them appeared.

Well, that's the best I could do under the circumstances. Thank you all for being you patient with me, the next chapter will probably be out next weekend or sooner. Thanks again and see you next time.


	10. Of Wounds, Shampoo and Similarity

I'm very sorry for keeping you all waiting for this chapter. I came down with malaria and now I've had to go through my mid-terms so it's been pretty hectic. Anyways I apologize once again.

The surprise interference of Sasori in the middle of the fight had created a stir.

Sasuke was bleeding profusely while Suigetsu was in a bad condition.

"We'd better retreat" said Karin as Jugo burst out some smoke bombs and while the smoke cleared the four disappeared.

"Oh no, I'm not letting them get away so easily" said Akane as she prepared to jump after them but she found a hand grabbing hers and swinging her around so that her back was pressed to a tree and ten hands pinning her down against it.

"You've caused enough trouble, all you'll do now is go back to the base with me" said Sasori sternly.

"Who do you think you are ordering? Just because you're my partner doesn't mean you have the right to flaunt your authority wherever you want "cried Akane kicking and scratching at the puppets that held her down in rage as Sasori merely stood by and watched.

After ten minutes she collapsed on a parched branch sweating and panting.

"Are you done or have you got the sequel part of the show ready as well" said Sasori.

"Shut up" said Akane still panting as she struggled to stand up but fell back.

Soon the world around her began to fade away and she found everything black.

"News is that Orochimaru has supposedly been killed by Sasuke who now is searching for Itachi with a team he has put together" said Jiraiya.

"Would you mind mentioning where you get these astonishingly accurate scraps of information from Jiraiya? I really doubt your source is a legimate one because you are never willing to show it" accused Tsunade.

Jiraiya smiled at her, "Well I'll tell you my source if you tell me where you hide all that booze you're always drinking?"

"Humph, one up to you, but seriously, are you sure this information is accurate?" asked Tsunade.

"Undoubtedly, only this will have quite a wrong impact on…"

The door burst open and Naruto Uzumaki stood with Sakura and Sai behind him.

"Is it true?" he asked panting.

"It is true Sasuke's left Orochimaru and he's now coming back to Konoha?" asked Sakura with her face aglow with happiness and joy.

Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged looks.

"Where did you here this from? It's supposed to be top secret" said Tsunade.

"Meaning it's true? Sasuke-kun will be with us again? Is it true shishou, please tell us" begged Sakura.

" What you have heard is only half correct, Sasuke has not left Orochimaru, he's killed him, and no, Sasuke is not returning to Konoha as of now, if that had happened then I would have been extremely surprised, you two are forgetting why he joined Orochimaru in the first place, while Itachi lives, Sasuke will never find peace" said Tsunade.

Sakura's face fell, Naruto's acquired a dark look and surprisingly Sai looked a little relieved.

"I knew it was too good to be true" said Naruto in a low voice as he turned to leave.

Sai followed him out but Sakura remained firmly standing there.

"Shishou, I want to ask you something. Please don't be insulted" said Sakura.

"Go on" said Tsunade looking curious as to what her polite pupil would say that would insult her.

"I wanted to know, what efforts are being made to bring Sasuke back, over the past three years not a single positive report about the whereabouts of Sasuke have been brought in, are you even trying to rescue him from the darkness? Are you even trying, shishou?"Asked Sakura quietly.

Tsunade seemed taken aback but Jiraiya glanced knowingly at the young rosette standing before them.

"I want to tell you Sakura about the Nijou Shoutai, they are a group of very specialized jounins some of whom you have already met, five members of the nijou shoutai have always been kept aside for the Uchiha business, they take no other mission, they only work to find Sasuke, and I'm sure a day will come when they will be successful" said Tsunade calmly.

"Five members? Is that it? Just five members? Five members are all that he means to you Shishou, he's a member of your own village and you keep just five members to track him down?" shouted Sakura with her eyes now glistening a little.

"Look Sakura, it's not as if I don't care about Sasuke, I do, but there are numerous reasons for not being able to give him my fullest attention yet, firstly, apart from Sasuke's threat there is also a massive threat of Akatsuki looming over our heads, on top of that the possibility between a war being declared between us and Iwagakure is very probable, we cannot send platoons of men after that one person, secondly, Sasuke had left the village of his own accord, of his own greed, I would have welcomed him back with open arms if he had returned after killing Orochimaru but no he has not which clearly disillusions you to the fact that it was Orochimaru who was keeping Sasuke there, thirdly, you are greatly doubting the capacities of the Nijou Shoutai, I can assure you that they are absolutely the best suited for this sort of job" said Tsunade still staring calmly at her pupil.

Sakura looked down at the floor; her breathing was very hard and rough.

"I'm sorry Shishou, I should not have lost my temper, I apologize" said Sakura bowing and walking away from the room.

Tsunade sighed and then rubbed her temples, "That boy Sasuke is turning out to be a much greater problem than I thought he would be and I just can't get my mind away from Akatsuki, on top of that there's that Black Assassin everyone's talking about and then the probable war with Iwagakure, I just loathe being Hokage at times"

" Hey take it easy, Naruto won't be a bother, Akatsuki is being watched out for everywhere, so is that Black Assassin, while Sasuke may seem a little problem now if he manages to kill Itachi then he may return and that would mean a great obstacle out of the way" said Jiraiya patting her on the back.

"I just hope what you say is true, I just hope" said Tsunade.

Outside Naruto and Sai were sitting at Ichiraku where Naruto had gone to drown his disappointment.

"Hey old man, the usual please" sighed Naruto as he slumped down on the stool.

"Rough day, Naruto-kun?" asked Teuchi cheerfully from the back.

"No, just had the largest disappointment of my life" said Naruto glumly.

"Sakura-Chan refused to go out with you again?" asked Ayame putting out two bowls.

"Nothing like that I tell you" said Naruto glumly slurping down the ramen present in his bowl.

"Tell me Naruto, what will happen if Sasuke comes back to Konoha?"Asked Sai looking at the downhearted blonde.

"We'll be able to be the best of friends again, Sakura-Chan and the others will become happy and my promise to Sakura-Chan will be fulfilled" said Naruto.

"I see" said Sai quietly.

"Why're you asking me?" inquired Naruto becoming a little more cheerful and a little suspicious.

Sai looked directly at Naruto, for a moment the deep black eyes met the shiny blue ones.

"Oh no reason at all" replied Sai quietly swallowing his noodles.

Akane and Sasori sat in a large cave on the outskirts of the Fire country. They had decided to wait there for the rest of the night and continue their journey back to Amegakure the next day.

A small fire lit up their cave and the two sat on opposite sides, not asleep but not entirely awake.

It was only when Akane noticed a red stain on the black part of Sasori's cloak that she became aware of her surroundings.

"You're bleeding" she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh yes, I was ambushed by a pretty fast group of missing ninja, they gave me a few hits before I could exterminate all of them" said Sasori.

"Well what are you doing about that wound?" asked Akane.

"Nothing at all, I've been in the Akatsuki long enough to know that wounds like these tend to heal by themselves" said Sasori.

"What rubbish, you have a wound which is pretty serious and you sit here saying it will heal by itself? I know enough medical ninjutsu to know that a wound of that degree takes an eternity to heal naturally" said Akane forcefully.

"So what do you propose I should do instead?" said Sasori looking slightly amused at this outburst.

" I thought you were somewhat intelligent, it can't be simpler, if you get a wound, you simply treat it till it is no longer a bother, that is all there is to do isn't it?" asked Akane.

Sasori gave a small laugh, "Even though you are past twenty years of life and are probably one of the most powerful kunoichi's in the ninja world you still have a mentality of a seven year old, my dear partner"

Akane went red and said, "Well excuse me for being concerned."

At this Sasori's amused air faded and his eyes disappeared behind locks of flaming hair as he looked down.

"Were you really?" asked Sasori quietly.

"What was that? Can't you speak louder? Or has your throat not got accustomed to your new body?" asked Akane.

"Were you really concerned?" asked Sasori again.

Akane subsided but the red color of anger had now turned into a slight blush.

" O-of course not, I mean not concerned in any extreme sort of way, I mean since you got hurt while on a journey to assist me I feel it is my duty to help heal the wound you've got" said Akane stiffly.

"I see" replied Sasori.

"But in spite of that, I would like to say t-thank you for saving me back there" said Akane now becoming very interested in the fire between them.

Sasori allowed himself a small, inconspicuous smile, "You're welcome, but don't expect me to come saving you everytime you get into a fix"

"Of course not, what do you think I am? A genin?" questioned Akane indignantly.

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?" asked Sasori.

Akane got up and grabbed her kunai pouch and began rummaging in it for something.

"You wouldn't attack a wounded man now would you? You wouldn't be as cold hearted, cold blooded and cold minded to attack a man who has suffered tragedy now would you?" asked Sasori.

"No but as your partner it is my duty to see that wound is patched up, come on now remove your cloak" said Akane taking out a small medical kit from her pouch.

"I told you twice it's not necessary at all, I've borne much worse wounds in much more terrible conditions and yet I have survived" said Sasori.

" That's because you had a puppet body then, now that you have a human body the wounds will not only take longer to heal but also they will adversely affect your internal organs" said Akane pulling out cotton balls, a bottle of green ointment and some bandages.

"Hm? I never knew you were a medical ninja" said Sasori.

"I'm not, these are just the basic things I've picked up during my travels" said Akane.

"You travel? You're a traveler?" asked Sasori.

"Before I joined Akatsuki I worked as a lone mercenary traveling through all the smaller ninja villages and only sometimes entering into the five great ninja nations, on condition that the pay was sufficient" said Akane.

"Well Kakuzu was impressed with your money handling skills" said Sasori.

"It's true, you'll be shocked to know how many people, even civilians want dead, and you'll be even more shocked to find how much they offer for the job to be completed, I for one feel it is much safer to lurk beneath the shadows and work in the smaller villages than work in the great ninja nations where the chance of failure or capture is ten times more" said Akane.

"I see, that is a clever idea, profitable on both sides" said Sasori.

"Yes and are you going to remove your cloak and let me treat your wound now or will I have to pester you all night?" asked Akane.

"All right, all right," said Sasori removing his cloak to reveal a simple grey dilapidated shirt and a faded pant.

"You're really not into glamour and fashions now are you?" asked Akane lifting his shirt slightly and dabbing the wound with cotton.

"No, being in akatsuki since you're fifteen doesn't give you much scope for fashion, besides, all I ever have eye for are my victims and my eternal art" said Sasori.

"Humph, eternal art indeed, more like eternal pieces of wood turned into a battle machine" said Akane now applying some green ointment with exceeding gentleness.

"I'm too tired to argue on that point with you right now" said Sasori wincing slightly

"Is it stinging?" asked Akane bending over to apply the ointment better.

"Just a little" replied Sasori. _"Her hair smells of roses"_ thought Sasori smiling.

"What're you smiling about?" asked Akane now putting on a white bandage on the green ointment.

"I would never have imagined, the great Akane Takigawa, the Black Assassin, member of the deadly Akatsuki to use rose scented shampoo" said Sasori.

Akane turned red for the third time that night and for the first time became extremely aware of the intimacy between them.

"Also it's a wonder how gentle you are right now compared to that cruel beast that you appear to be on the battle, is your tough outlook on the battle a façade and your really a feminine little girl from the inside?" asked Sasori thoroughly enjoying seeing his partner blushing more and more.

"Oh well... that's not a crime now is it and one can't expect someone to put ointment on a wound that same way I drive katanas through skin" she said as she nervously put on all the bandages and backed away hastily.

Sasori stared at her and said, "Yes you are correct. Thank you, your concern is much appreciated"

"It's no big deal, by the way, do happen to know if Itachi-san has any enemies?" asked Akane putting back the bottle of ointment.

"Itachi? Not any special enemy unless you consider his younger brother Sasuke" replied Sasori.

"Hmm, I seem to recall something about that, didn't Itachi-San massacre his whole family sparing only his younger brother?" asked Akane.

"True, now that you think about it, the guy who was attacking you today looked a lot like Itachi" said Sasori.

"And I think that red haired, bespectacled banshee called him Sasuke, so that must mean he's Itachi-San's younger brother out to seek revenge for the whole clan?" asked Akane.

" How imaginative you are, but yes in this case it is true, this pest has been hounding Itachi for around four years now going even up to the lengths of joining Orochimaru" said Sasori grumpily.

"I heard from Konan that Orochimaru was your partner in Akatsuki before Deidara, is that true?" asked Akane.

"Yeah that's right, why?" asked Sasori.

"No, it's just like you two are very familiar" replied Akane.

"How do you know? Have you even met him? And from what angle do I feel like Orochimaru?"Asked Sasori feeling insulted.

"Well I did do a mission for him once, I'd say you two have some similar characteristics, both of your names are associated with deadly animals, 'Orochi' means snake and 'Sasori' means scorpion" said Akane.

"And your point is?" asked Sasori still looking annoyed.

"Also both of you were in the same team and have the same creepy way of presenting yourselves, I think" said Akane taking revenge for the way Sasori made her blush minutes ago.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked now getting angry.

"I mean, he's creepy with his slicky tongue and snake like eyes but you…"

"I know I'm a creepy freak because I love inanimate pieces of wood and had a puppet body right? I've heard that a million times so I don't need you to tell me that" said Sasori getting up and leaving the cave.

Akane stared as he walked past her, _"I was only going to say that he wasn't so creepy after all because he could see the good side of things once in a while, it must be a touchy subject to him"_ she thought as the night ticked on and Sasori did not return.

Well folks that's all for now. My exams are finally over so maybe I'll be able to post another chapter in a few days. Do review if you feel like it. Thanks for reading.


	11. Knowing Each Other Better

Hi guys. Welcome to the eleventh chapter of The Reason for Existing. Please read and review if you like it. And don't hesitate if you have some suggestion or want to criticize something.

In a cave on the outskirts of the Fire country Akane Takigawa sat up and stretched out her tired body. What with the mission she had to endure the previous day, and the strenuous fight with Itachi's younger brother her chakra levels had depleted somewhat.

She began rolling up her supplies and things when she noticed the cave was still empty and remembered the conversation she had with her partner the previous night.

After she was done she sat down at the entrance of the cave allowing the sunlight to shine over her and breathing in the fresh forest air.

"_Wait, I can't sit here relaxing like this, we've got to get back to the base by tomorrow"_ thought Akane as she summoned a ferocious looking eagle and told him who to search for.

The eagle gave a cry and rose of into the sky.

"_I wonder why he became offended like that, he didn't even let me complete my sentence,"_ thought Akane.

Then she snapped and shook her head vigorously, "Grrrr, why do I care if Mr. I-Me-Myself got insulted he deserves to be insulted, he deserves to be…"

But her train of thoughts was disturbed by the sound of someone walking towards her.

Looking up she saw Sasori walking towards the cave. Not even looking at her he went in and looked around.

"I've packed up your stuff" said Akane coldly.

Sasori did not reply but simply sat down at the end of the cave.

"What, aren't you ready to go?" asked Akane.

"If you are" he replied glumly.

"Well of course I am, why do you think I'm sitting here, and what's up with this disappearing act? If I didn't know how to find you then what?" asked Akane now getting angry.

"You're supposed to be intelligent, I figured you'd give a call" replied Sasori still glumly, now getting up.

Akane gave up and instead held out her arm on which the eagle came and sat before it burst into smoke and disappeared.

Sasori walked out of the cave without a word and jumped on a tree and began leaping away.

Akane followed suit but her attention was devoid and she just managed to save herself from being hit by tree by a matter of seconds.

"What's the matter? Looks like you lost a horse and found a hare" commented Akane watching her usually alert partner being very glum and sulky.

"Nothing that you would care about. Why don't you stop talking, you're shrill voice is making my head burst, so if you don't shut the hell up right now I'll slice you to pieces" yelled Sasori immediately regretting what he said due to the fact that it would raise a louder outburst from his partner.

But surprisingly it did not.

Akane merely glanced sharply at him once and increased her speed so that she was the one leading now.

For the rest of the journey none of them spoke and soon they arrived at a village outside the Land of Waves where they decided to spend the night.

They walked to an inn in complete silence. The whole village seemed to become silent seeing their outfits as well.

Just then a small ball rolled before Akane's legs and a small boy ran before her to pick it up.

A young woman ran up to the child and grabbed him and seeing who she was standing before she collapsed at Akane's feet screaming her lungs out.

Immediately a young man with a cocky face who was most probably her husband stepped forward and held a blade which was not steady due to the shaking of the man's hands.

"Y-you take one step c-closer and I s-s-swear I'll run y-you through it" he said shaking badly as the lady behind him moved back still screaming.

Akane glared at the man through her kasa hat and simply moved aside and continued walking.

The man stopped shaking and a huge grin lit his face up.

"Saw that, I held off the Akatsuki, not as tough as they appear I guess" he said in a low tone as the people around him smiled nervously.

In a wink of an eye Akane turned and threw a kunai straight at the man which grazed his cheek leaving a long scar and embedded itself in the wooden pillar of a vegetable stand behind him.

"Don't underestimate us" said Akane coldly as she turned and continued walking.

The man collapsed on the ground with his cheek bleeding while his wife fainted on the road. The tone she used wiped the smiles off from everybody's faces

Akane quickly found Sasori standing before a small inn.

"That was quite a change" he said quietly.

"What was?" asked Akane still in a bad mood.

"You said don't underestimate _us_, so far you've only spoken about yourself, which must mean now you consider yourself a true member of Akatsuki" he said.

Akane did not reply but her face was not visible due to the high collar and hat.

"You're very talkative all of a sudden" she said as they entered the inn.

No reply.

They entered the inn and ignored the terrified look and the shivering people.

Walking up to the counter they asked the old man behind it if there was any room.

"Y-y-yes there is sir, our best rooms are free for tonight" he said holding onto the counter to prevent himself from collapsing.

"What's the charge for two rooms for a night?" asked Sasori ignoring the whispers.

"Why two rooms?" asked Akane.

"Obviously there are two people therefore two rooms" stated Sasori.

"And obviously it means unnecessary expenditure, I'm supposed to be raising funds for Akatsuki, one room will do" retorted Akane.

"I disagree, there is no way I am sharing a room with a miserly, barbarous woman like you, absolutely no way" said Sasori.

"Believe me I take no pleasure in sharing a room with a ... person like you" said Akane pausing, "But like I said Kakuzu-san will be furious if he sees any over expenditure, we will be sharing a room and that is final"

Sasori flinched a little when she paused but did not argue at her refusal to obey his refusal.

"One room for the night" she told the receptionist.

" Umm, its free for you and your umm … your companion madam, please let us pay for any service you like at all" said a smooth voice from behind the old man which was revealed to be a middle aged man with carefully slicked back hair and a well built body.

Akane glanced at the man and gave a smile, "Indeed, how nice, thank you for your hospitality, I will be sure to recommend this place to every one I know, including the other members"

After they went upstairs the old man rapped his son's head, "You fool, look what you've done"

"What? She praised us" said the man rubbing his head.

"You donkey, if she recommends this inn then whenever any Akatsuki member passes through the village they'll stop here and we'll loose all our guests" said the man with his hands in his head.

The son stared blankly into space for a moment, "Oh… never thought about that"

Meanwhile Akane and Sasori proceeded upstairs. From all most all the rooms they could hear ecstatic moans and yells and loud grunts of pleasure.

Trying to ignore the sounds Akane came to the last room in the corridor and opened it with a key.

The room inside was fairly large with a double bed and a dusty lamp stand beside it. There was an old desk with some chairs and a large padded chair. There was also an adjoining bathroom. A large window looked onto the street below. A limp, old, lace curtain hung there.

"Well if you're ready to share the room means you must be ready to share the bed" said Sasori with a slight twinkle in his eyes.

"Sorry, I draw a line at that, you sleep on the floor" said Akane settling down with a book on the large padded chair.

"Excuse me? Whose idea was it to share a room?" demanded Sasori.

Akane's answer was drowned in a huge ecstatic yell of many men and a single female from the next room and many thumps on the adjoining wall.

"On second thought maybe I won't recommend this place" said Akane.

Sasori opened a small cabinet which was stocked with sake and opened a bottle but a kunai hit the glass bottle and it shattered into pieces spilling the sake all over Sasori's shoes.

"What on earth did you do that for?" asked Sasori becoming as red as his hair.

"The sake is expired, I checked that, if you drank even one sip of that thing then you would be in a condition that is unfit for traveling, and it is essential that we leave tomorrow because I plan to make a stop at the Village of Whirlwinds" said Akane.

"Village of Whirlwinds? No way am I walking all the way to that village" said Sasori checking the other bottles of sake.

"You needn't come, you can stay here or continue towards Amegakure alone, I'll join you later" said Akane.

"Why do you want to stop at that Village anyways?" asked Sasori as he found an unexpired bottle and drank the sake with enthusiasm.

"I have some friends and a child there, I want to meet them again" said Akane.

Sasori began choking on his sake and spat a whole mouthful out which hit the wall.

"You have…what?" he spluttered.

"Friends and a child" repeated Akane frowning slightly.

"A…child?" asked Sasori looking less shocked now but still very surprised.

"Yes, and I don't see why you're…" Akane stopped as she realized what Sasori was thinking and went red.

"It's not like that, I mean it's not my child, just a kid who wanted to come along with me while I was in Sunagakure" she explained hastily.

"Oh, I see" said Sasori looking normal again.

"_Good grief, I can't believe he thought the child was mine"_ thought Akane still very red.

"So listen…"

"Hey about…"

The two of them spoke together and then stopped.

"Go on" said Sasori.

"About last night, I don't know why you suddenly rushed out like that, but if I said something really wrong I… I… I apologize" said Akane with great effort.

"I acted a little foolishly last night, I didn't even let you complete what you were saying" said Sasori.

"I was just going to say that unlike Orochimaru I didn't find you _that_ creepy" said Akane.

" I see, I'm sorry too, I thought you were calling me as creepy as him, no doubt I am as creepy but …but I just don't like to be reminded" said Sasori looking a little sad.

"Why don't we just forget all that, let's change the topic, it was a misunderstanding which has now been cleared, so shall we leave it at that?" asked Akane.

Sasori gave a nod and then surprisingly gave a full smile.

Akane looked in wonder, _" He…he looks just like Otou-chan when he smiles, that smile which reassures you, that smile which makes me feel like I'm safe, the smile that I loved more than anything in the whole world"_ thought Akane.

"Is something wrong, you look a little pale" said Sasori.

"Oh, what? Wrong? Oh no, nothings wrong, it's just, you look a lot like someone I knew when you smile" said Akane smiling a little.

"I see, I take it that this person was quite close to you?" asked Sasori.

"My dad, he, my mom, and my two siblings were the closest things in my life" said Akane.

"Were?" asked Sasori noting the past tense.

"It's a long story, but in short they were destroyed by Konoha Shinobi" said Akane as a dark look came over her.

"My parents too were killed by a konoha shinobi, I was raised my grandmother who taught me the art of puppetry" said Sasori.

"Isn't your grandmother the one who brought your puppet body down?" asked Akane.

"Yes, she was probably the most skilled puppet master after me" said Sasori.

"I see" said Akane quietly.

For several minutes the two Akatsuki members basked in silence of their shadowed past when suddenly a loud moan from next door interrupted their train of thoughts.

"Either they don't know who they're screaming next to or they don't care" said Akane angrily.

"You're fault for picking this room" said Sasori.

"You're fault for picking this damned inn" cried Akane.

"Laying blame on others will not help ease the guilt, guilt always perceives and persists in you mind, it remains there, as eternal as my art" said Sasori and quickly ducked as Akane threw the book she was reading at him.

"Your eternal art be damned, anyways, you're sleeping on the floor" stated Akane.

"Absolutely not, what sort of partner makes their senior sleep on the floor" said Sasori.

"What sort of man makes a woman sleep on the floor" argued Akane.

In the end they decided to share the bed on strict condition that Sasori would not move an inch out of his portion of the bed.

Sasuke Uchiha and the team Taka sat in a dark room whole wall paper was coming off and 2-3 inch dust had settled all over the room.

"Sasuke, are you ok? Is it still hurting anywhere? Anywhere at all? Don't hesitate to ask me ok? Please don't worry about anything at all" said Karin checking Sasuke's body.

" Hey witch, what're you fawning over him for, I'm the one who nearly got a leg twisted off by that crazy bitch back there, heal me if you need someone to heal"

"Shut up you fool, do you think that your wounds are more important than Sasuke's wounds" shouted Karin.

"Stop arguing you two, Sasuke, you're ok aren't you? And you Suigetsu?" asked Jugo as both of them nodded.

"I wonder who that puppet guy was, whoever he was, he was strong" said Suigetsu.

"And he was pretty hot too" said Karin quietly to herself but the comment was unfortunately overheard by Suigetsu.

"Whoa, watch out Sasuke, you're position of Karin Sweetheart No. 1 is threatened by the mysterious, handsome puppeteer" drawled Suigetsu.

" How…dare…you…say…something…like…that, I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS YOU LOUSLY SLOB, YOU IDIOTIC INSECT, YOU DUMB RAT!" cried Karin grabbing Suigetsu by the shoulders and shaking him like a rag doll.

"Sasuke will be the only one I ever love you get that?" She cried.

"Karin shut up, I need to think about how to trace Itachi" said Sasuke gruffly.

"Oh sorry Sasuke" said Karin letting go of Suigetsu and settling down beside Sasuke.

" I should have taken more precautions at seeing a lone Akatsuki member, Akatsuki always travels in pairs, I should have prepared accordingly, now I've lost track again" said Sasuke.

" Since finding Itachi is turning out to be a bother then why don't you find Kisame instead, I mean, since Kisame is Itachi's partner you'll have a chance of finding him won't you?" asked Suigetsu.

"That's not a bad idea, Itachi and Kisame will probably be together" said Jugo.

" Hmm, well if any of you have any leads of Kisame or any other Akatsuki member then go act on it right now and gather as much information as possible, go right now" said Sasuke as Suigetsu and Jugo got up and jumped out of the window.

"Let me stay and nurse you Sasuke" said Karin.

"Go!" yelled Sasuke as Karin jumped back and disappeared.

"_Itachi, I will find you, I will avenge all that you have done to me, and I will kill you"_ said Sasuke as his eyes turned red with the sharingan.

Sasori gave a yawn and opened his sleepy brown eyes to find himself in a very compromising position.

Over the night the barriers between the bed had ceased to exist and somehow the two had ended up with Akane's head buried in his shoulder and Sasori's chin resting on her head.

Sasori remembered this was always how he slept with his parents except that it was he who buried his face and his parents who cuddled up to him.

"_I wonder how one gets up in this position"_ thought Sasori trying to edge away without Akane noticing.

At this Akane gave a small groan and shifted a little but did not move.

"_Somehow I feel I don't want to wake her, I don't want to disturb her right now, I don't want this peaceful but tired face to resume it's usual cold look again"_ thought Sasori looking at the exhausted face.

For the first time he was seeing her without her cloak.

She wore a simple black shirt and a knee length violet skin tight pants. Her hair was a mess from tossing about all night. And her hands were entangled. There was also a small smile, a peaceful smile on her lips.

"_Her lips are so pretty, they look so soft and so pink"_ thought Sasori before turning crimson and mentally slapping himself for letting such thoughts enter his head.

Akane now gave a louder groan and opened her eyes slowly.

Seizing this change Sasori backed away quickly, a bit too quickly for he fell out of the bed.

Akane got up yawning and stretching her self.

Then she looked at the fallen man on the floor who was rubbing his elbow.

She gave a slight giggle and asked, "What on earth are you doing down there, did you decide to sleep on the floor after all?"

" _Her voice sounds so different now, so gentle, and she's giggling, I've never heard anyone except my mother giggle before, Grandma never giggled and neither does Leader-Sama's partner"_ thought Sasori.

Akane herself had realized why he was staring so and had stopped smiling with a horrified look.

"I…umm… I" she stuttered before grabbing her cloak and rushing into the bathroom.

When she came out twenty minutes later she had regained her usual cool composure and seemed to be sure to forget what had happened a few minutes ago.

"I'm ready to leave, are you ready?" she asked.

"Yeah" said Sasori still not over the shock of hearing his usually cold and angry partner giggle and smile so sweetly.

"Let's go then…" she hesitated but then spoke, "…Sasori-San"

Whew finished that in an hour. I think I deserve some reviews. Please give your suggestions as I'm not used to writing scenes like this but I try my best. Hope you liked it. See you next time.


	12. Meeting with Old Friends

Hello and welcome to the latest chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I'm very sorry for not updating for such a long time but the fact is that with the entire festive atmosphere is very difficult to sit inside your room and write. Hope you understand. Thanks and please review.

By the way I hope you notice the change I've made in the summary. I decided to make Akane not so emotionless (after meeting Sasori of course). I'm a little tired of emotionless people actually. I would love to hear you're comments on it.

* * *

Two cloaked figures walked quietly in the deserted streets of The Village Hidden in Whirlwinds.

Akane had shed her Akatsuki cloak and had requested Sasori to do the same so that they didn't have to bother with unnecessary explanations. They now wore simple black cloaks.

"You don't know Ayako, when she starts asking questions it's easier facing off against a Hokage" said Akane.

Sasori merely gave her an incredulous look before continuing walking.

"May I ask why is it so important to go and meet these people? I wanted to reach the base by today" said Sasori.

"Like I had said before you needn't have come, it's important that I meet these people because they are the only ones close to me whom I have left" said Akane in a low tone.

"Hm" said Sasori walking on.

"What's with that 'hm'?" asked Akane frowning.

"Nothing of consequence, anyways you'd better not take too long, Leader-Sama will be most displeased with you us if we're very late" said Sasori.

"Then why don't you go back, I told I can handle myself" said Akane.

"Please don't flatter yourself with the thought that I'm staying here to protect you or something, I'm only here because Leader-Sama has made you my partner and thus my responsibility, if you created some ruckus he would be livid with me" said Sasori.

"Don't you dare speak to me as if I was some child, anyways we're here, you're not coming inside" said Akane plainly.

"Believe me I had no intention of going inside with _you_" said Sasori with contempt.

Ever since the night at the inn the two of them had realized that they had let each other know themselves a bit too much. As a result a gloomy and embarrassed atmosphere loomed over them like an umbrella and sometimes drops of anger and spite would drop on them as if the umbrella was full of holes.

Soon Akane walked up to the familiar faded and dilapidated house with its slanting roof and miniscule garden.

"Well whatever you're going to do, get it done by an hour, after that we're leaving" said Sasori walking away.

"Where are you going?" asked Akane.

"None of your concern, just be back here in an hour's time, don't be late, I hate waiting for others" said Sasori walking away.

"_Of all the people in this wide world I had to join an organization where I have to be partnered with someone like him, oh well"_ thought Akane knocking on the door.

The door opened to reveal Daisuke. His rather tired face lit up as he smiled at their guest.

"Akane, you're back early this time, come in, come in, Ayako, you're darling is here" shouted Daisuke.

There was a loud thump and the sound of glass shattering above and many more thumps to follow which showed that a certain someone was running down the steps.

"Akane-Channnn" cried Ayako jumping directly from the steps on Akane who nearly collapsed at the force of the push.

"Hey Ayako, it's nice to see you so… well energetic" said Akane smiling a bit.

There was the sound of running feet and a small boy of 12.

"Akane-San" he cried as he ran up to her, his face shining with joy.

"Well, I see you're getting along just fine Tomoya, are you all right here? Ayako doesn't suffocate you with her bear hugs does she?" asked Akane.

"Akane, you meanie" said Ayako pouting.

"I'm fine here, you, Ayako-san and Daisuke-San are the nicest people I have met in my whole life, I can't tell you how grateful I am to all of you for letting me stay here, and did you know Akane-San, that if you mold chakra in the correct way you're able to make several clones of yourself and if you use chakra on that weapon…"

Tomoya drabbled on as Akane exchanged a smile with Daisuke.

Finally when Ayako had dragged Tomoya away for a bath Akane took out a medium sized ppuch and placed it on the table.

"Akane what's this?" asked Daisuke sharply.

"Money"

"Why have you brought this here?"

"For you, Ayako and Tomoya to use, it'll last you for the rest of the year I'm sure"

"I can't accept this"

"Why not? I have to repay the debt I owe to the two of you, I know money isn't the answer to everything but it's the only thing I can provide you with on a regular basis, please Daisuke, you have to see this from my point of view as well, I would feel like a fiend if I just accepted your kindness like that and never repaid you" said Akane quietly.

"We haven't done anything to deserve this Akane, we're very happy that you think about us so much and the thought is enough to keep both of us going" said Daisuke patiently.

"Don't lie Daisuke, if it keeps both of you going then why are both you and Ayako getting thinner every time I return, why do the two of you have even lesser clothes each time, why does one or two pieces of your furniture vanish? Why does the village seems emptier? Answer me Daisuke" said Akane.

Daisuke sighed and his someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Akane, all we did was give you a home, like Daisuke said we're very happy you think about us so much, but really we can't force you to keep earning money and then giving it to us, we have forced you into the hunted life you lead today, and we can't bear to make your life more miserable than it already is" said Ayako gently.

"You two have made my life miserable? When I was alone in the world, dieing on the street, being ignored by everyone who was passing by remind who it was who smiled and held out their hand to me, when I didn't even know what a kunai was remind me who taught me everything I know today, when my stomach used to growl who would laugh and feed me off their own plates? When I used to be ill who would stay up all night to nurse me? You two that's who. If you both think you made my life miserable then there aren't a pair of idiots like you around" said Akane getting worked up.

Daisuke and Ayako merely looked at each other.

"In any case I'm not going to leave this place or eat a morsel till you accept this money and get those guilty feelings out of your heart, please remember this, if I'm alive today, it's because of you two, please let me show my happiness, my gratitude in one way, after being an assassin for so long I have lost sight of how to be a good person, so I can't repay you in any other way than this" said Akane pleadingly.

The pair sitting before her looked at her for a long time before Ayako got up and hugged her.

"All right, if you feel so strongly about this, then we'll accept your money" said Daisuke pulling the bag over.

"Thank you," said Akane.

"And Akane, one more thing, you are a good person, a very good person" whispered Ayako into her ear.

Sasori was angry. Very angry. It was half an hour past the set time and there was no sign that Akane was going to come out of that house.

He contemplated going in there but decided against it in the end.

" _I made it very clear to her that she was to meet me here in exactly an hour, it is now half an hour past that time, curse that woman, I hate waiting like this with nothing productive to do"_ thought Sasori bitterly.

Just then the door opened and out stepped Akane followed by a man and woman in their late thirties and a child of twelve.

" So drop by again when you have time, stay safe and don't go looking for unnecessary battles, remember the first rule I taught you" said the man.

"And don't forget to eat, and brush your teeth every morning, you'll get cavities if you don't" said the woman cheerfully as if she was addressing a small child.

"Please come back soon Akane-San, I'm sure I'll have mastered the jutsu you showed me by the time you come over again" said the child.

Akane nodded, hugged the woman and the child and shook hands with the man before walking a few steps and disappearing into an alley.

Sasori joined her and the two salvaged their cloaks from where they had hidden it.

" I thought I told you to be here thirty-five minutes ago? I hope you know by now that I absolutely hate waiting and making others wait as well" said Sasori.

Akane merely nodded and continued walking.

"So then may I ask why you were late? Not to mention you don't seem to be in any sort of hurry now" said Sasori.

"I just lost track of the time" said Akane.

Sasori gave up on his reproaches and regarded her curiously.

Suddenly Akane turned and bowed to Sasori.

" Sasori-San"

Sasori was rather taken aback at this sudden use of his name.

"I apologize for my rude behavior earlier, and I also wish to apologize for making you wait, I'll remember not to do that in the future" said Akane.

Sasori stared at her in surprise, "Well… I… okay, I guess "he said at a loss for words at this sudden change.

Akane got up beaming and held out her hand, "Lets work together then?"

Sasori gawked at her as if she was growing horns but he held out his hand as well and the two shook hands solemnly.

"Okay, we'll work together, Takigawa-San" said Sasori.

"Seeing that I call you by your name you also reserve the right to call me by mine" said Akane.

Sasori stared at her perplexed, never had he been asked by Orochimaru or Deidara to call them by their names, yet here was this girl who was moody and sulky one moment and brightly smiling at him the next.

"Okay, let's work together," Sasori hesitated a bit, A-Akane-San"

* * *

At a hotel near the borders of the Sand Village, in the bathroom stood Akio, with a towel wrapped around his well built frame he sat in the bath deep in thought when the door opened slightly and Rika peeped in.

"Can I scrub your back for you Akio-Sama?" she asked batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

"Why only the back? You can scrub me all over" said Akio smirking as the girl slid into the water beside him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"You're such a pervert Akio-Sama" said Rika as she ran her hand over one of the scars on his chest.

"What're you thinking about?" she asked sensing something was off.

"It's nothing" replied Akio.

"Akio-Sama, we've been together for eight years, I know when something is bothering you so please tell me, or else I'll be upset" said Rika looking concerned.

" It's that Akatsuki woman who I fought, it's just, I can't shake off the feeling that I've seen her somewhere, not only seen her but actually known her, I don't know why but I just can't shake the feeling off" said Akio.

"Maybe you knew her earlier, in your childhood, but you don't like her right?" asked Rika looking more worried.

Akio gave a soft laugh and turned to the young girl, "Darling, as if I'd like any other woman besides you, you're the only one for me"

"Oh Akio-Sama" said Rika shuddering as Akio leaned down and kissed her neck and forehead.

* * *

Pain looked at the pair standing before him.

" I see, so you say you encountered Itachi's brother on the way and he attacked you, very well I'll let Itachi know, for now both of you can go and rest" said Pain as Akane and Sasori nodded and stepped out.

"That child is proving to be rather annoying, do you want me to exterminate him?" asked Konan.

"No, not now anyways, let me first talk with Itachi, we'll hear his views on the matter first and then I'll decide, and have you had any messages from _him_?"

"No, nothing as of yet, I think he's hiding for some reason, but that's only my intuition" said Konan.

" Hm, well we'll see, it probably won't be too long before he sends us the next mission, anyways for now summon Itachi, I'll have a talk with him about his brother, also keep an eye on Zetsu, I have a gut feeling he's hiding something" said Pain.

"Right" said Konan nodding and walking out as well.

* * *

"Tsunade-Sama, finally we found something solid about the Black Assassin, its news, but not too much of a good news" yelled Shizune running into the Godaime's office.

" What've you found?" asked Tsunade getting up from her chair suddenly causing Tonton to fall out of her lap and land with a bump on the floor.

"We have received confirmation that this woman, the Black Assassin is now a member of the Akatsuki" said Shizune.

"What? This is bad, are you positive about this?" asked Tsunade.

"Well apparently this woman attacked the Sand Village a few weeks ago and managed to hold of quite easily against the Kazekage, she was using some sort of fluid technique which gave life to corpses, this same woman was later seen in an Akatsuki cloak near the borders of the Fire country, so I'm afraid that means…"

"The threat of the Black Assassin and the Akatsuki have merged, indeed we're in for a tough time, call Jiraiya here, I want to have a private chat with him, oh and call Kakashi as well if he's recovered yet" ordered Tsunade as Shizune nodded and hurried out of the room.

_"When on earth are these tough times going to end? At times like this I absolutely hate being a Hokage, if that Assassin has joined forces with the Akatsuki then goodness knows what dangers Naruto will have to face now, I wonder if I should warn him,"_ thought Tsunade pacing up and down her office.

"I'll decide after speaking to Jiraiya and Kakashi, seeing that they're both his teachers they should know him pretty well" decided Tsunade staring down at the streets of Konoha.

* * *

Well that's it for now. See you guys again later. Don't forget to review.


	13. The Fight and the Three Tailed Beast

Hi guys and welcome to the 13th chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you all like the story so far. There's more to come. Please keep reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

"As you all know now that after the recent capture of the five-tails by Hidan and Kakuzu, we the Akatsuki are now in possession of four of the nine tailed beasts" said Pain as his rinnegan eyes glared around at the other members standing in their respective positions.

"We have also managed to locate the position of another tailed beast namely the Three tailed Giant Turtle, since this beast for some unknown reason lacks a jinchuriki it will be relatively easy to capture, we will be sending Sasori and Takigawa-San to capture this beast since this is their first assignment to capture a tailed beast together" said Konan.

"The beast lives in a lake near Kirigakure, beware since it has no intelligence it lives on animal instincts it can be rough and go wild, also the threat of Sasuke Uchiha or the Hidden Villages may be present, you two would do well to be cautious" said Pain.

"I'm sure that you're aware Takigawa-San that the beast has to be brought back here alive so that we may seal its power within the statue," said Konan.

Akane's hologram gave a curt nod.

" Well then you two may begin preparations for your mission right away, don't procrastinate the job, begin working on it right now, we have very limited time and by the end of this year we must have at least seven of the beasts in our hands" said Pain.

Sasori's hologram nodded, "We'll make sure the job is done as fast as possible" he said quietly.

"Meanwhile Zetsu will begin scouting for the next tailed beast. Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara and Tobi will be on standby till they receive further orders, Itachi and Kisame will have to infiltrate Otogakure and destroy one of Orochimaru's old labs which he had built near the border, for more detail about this mission you two will meet me in my office in exactly fifteen minutes" said Pain.

All the members nodded at their respective tasks as the holograms began to disappear one by one.

After they had all left and only Konan was there she asked him quietly, "Why did you give orders for Itachi to destroy Orochimaru's laboratory?"

"_He _feels that Orochimaru is far from dead, we need to know as much about him as possible and destroy whatever dangerous stuff he may have left behind" said Pain.

"I see" replied Konan as her voice echoed around the huge cavern.

* * *

In a faraway inn room a man and woman slept in a tight embrace.

Both of them were naked and a white bed sheet covered the low part of their bodies. The woman's head was buried in the man's chest and his arms were wrapped protectively around her.

The woman's eyes fluttered open and she shifted a little which in turn caused the man to wake up.

"Oh dear did I wake you Akio-Sama?" asked Rika sitting up.

"Yeah you did, and I was blessed the moment I saw your face" said Akio pinning the woman to the bed and kissing her neck.

"Unghhh, not in the morning Akio-Sama, that silly old frog who owns the inn might hear us, anyways she looked as if she was going to faint when we wanted a single room" said Rika wrapping her arms around Akio despite her protests.

Akio smirked feeling her breath hitch a little as her bit her neck a bit and licked the mark he left there. He moved down nipping and biting till he grabbed one of her breasts in his mouth.

" Ahhhh, oh yes," cried Rika arching her head back as Akio continued lick and kiss both her breasts in turns.

He moved lower fondling her breasts with his hands while kissing and licking every part of her creamy skin his mouth could find.

Just then there was a great hammering on the door.

"Get up you sleepy louses, there's some old coot downstairs who wants to meet you, come on wake up, goodness, you two Rip Van Winkle's descendants or what?" yelled the quavering voice of an old woman and the sound of wood hitting wood as her stick banged against the feeble door.

Akio got up in frustration, put on a pant and threw open the door.

"What the fuck do you want you old badger, can't you see me and my girl are busy right now" he yelled.

The old woman who was probably half his height banged his head with her stick.

"I couldn't care less, there's some old worm downstairs who wants to meet you, and what're you doing standing in my room half naked" she yelled loudly.

"I'm making love to my girlfriend, got a problem with that you old hag?" yelled Akio.

That left the woman speechless as Akio slammed the door in her face.

"Wow you really showed her who's boss" said Rika putting on a kimono.

Akio grabbed her from behind and pulled down her kimono a bit exposing her shoulder which he licked her and nipped slightly

"Akio-Sama, didn't you hear her, there's someone who wants to meet you, not now ahhhhh" cried the girl as Akio kissed her and then walked into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later they came downstairs ignoring the glares they were getting from the innkeeper and found a thin, pale boy of eighteen sitting on a chair fiddling with his fingers. His dirty blond hair was matted with water and his face was bruised and very pale. His clothes were ragged and torn and he was barefoot.

"Sousuke, what the hell are you doing here? We were supposed to meet two weeks later at Kirigakure" said Akio in surprise.

The boy called Sousuke gave one look at Akio before throwing himself at Akio's feet with a howl.

"Lord Akio please I beg you save me from them, t-they know where I a-am, they'll k-k-kill me, p-please I'm begging you, I-I-I'll pay you whatever you want just s-save me from t-those monsters" he screamed shoveling at Akio's feet, grabbing them with his face buried in the duty floor.

Everyone was staring at them now with the innkeeper glaring in rage, humiliation and disgust.

"What the hell Sousuke get up, you're causing a scene, get up I say" yelled Akio kicking him away as he and Rika helped the sickly boy up and dragged him back to their room.

He threw the whimpering and struggling boy on the bed and together with Rika he was able to restraint him.

" Why are you getting so worked up? Hey leave my kimono alone it coasts a bundle, w-why're you crying like that, god Akio help me right now" said Rika as Sousuke clung to her kimono tightly.

Sousuke's eyes filled with haunted tears as he clung tighter to Rika who glanced at Akio helplessly.

Akio sat down beside Sousuke and pulled the boy roughly away from Rika and hugged him.

"Stop crying, I'm here now, both Rika and I are here, just tell us your problem Sousuke" he said gently.

Amazingly Sousuke gave a large sniff and tried stopping which led to him having hiccups. He gratefully accepted the glass of water Rika offered him and calmed down still sniffing and clinging to Akio.

"Good boy, now tell me what happened to you, if it's something too hard for you to talk about then we'll wait until you feel better" said Akio still speaking in his gentle voice stroking the boy's wet hair.

Rika looked on with the jug of water in her hands.

Ever since she had set eyes on the boy she knew she disliked him, mainly because he was such a helpless brat who couldn't look after himself. It was a wonder why Akio was so gentle with him. It made her very jealous to see Akio speaking in that loving, caring voice to anyone but herself. She gave Sousuke a hard look and then lamented herself for being jealous over such a petty matter when the boy clearly was suffering from trauma.

"I-I was in the Village of Lakes, the small village between Kirigakure and the Village of Whirlwinds, I was with those other two men you assigned to my team, I was looking out for the people you told me to look out for and a week ago, well I-I saw them, two of them, wearing black cloaks with red clouds and kasa hats pulled over their faces" said Sousuke shivering against Akio who squeezed his grip reassuringly and continued stroking the boys hair as Rika felt a pang of jealousy.

"I was going to report it to you when suddenly a man with a large hat appeared behind me asking me if I knew the way to the Lake of Mists" said Sousuke.

"I quickly told him the way and tried to leave but he grabbed my hand and his hat fell off. Lord A-akio, it was so awful, his face was all mangled and his eyes were blank. His skin was almost grey in color" said Sousuke bursting into tears again.

"It's ok Sousuke, I'm here with you, nobody's going to harm you" said Akio.

" He grabbed me and one of those men you sent tried to save me but before he could to do anything a huge flaming tornado shot down from the sky and burnt him to crisp, and his body was there, all burnt and charred, I… it was so horrible" said Sousuke.

"I think you should stop now Sousuke, it's obvious you're not in good condition, why don't you get some rest now?" asked Akio.

Sousuke shook his head and looked up at Akio, " No Lord Akio, I have to warn you, or else, they're kill me and you both, I don't want them to kill me but I don't want them to kill you even less" said Sousuke.

Akio looked surprised and then tightened his embrace, "Don't force yourself, you're worn out now, take a bath, get some rest and if you feel better when you wake up then you can tell me the rest okay?" he said.

The boy gave a hesitant nod and unsteadily got to his feet but before he could walk two steps he fell.

Akio rushed and picked him up before he could hit his face.

"Are you all right? I guess you can't walk properly yet, wait let me help you" said Akio lifting the boy up and carrying him over to the bathroom.

After a bit of time he walked out and sank to the sofa looking worried.

"He's really scared poor thing, what do you suppose those two akatsukis did to him Rika?" he asked.

When he got no reply he turned around and saw Rika staring at him coldly, "Oh remembered I exist have you?" she asked in a steely voice.

"What're you talking about?" said Akio.

"Oh nothing, nothing of consequence to you I guess" she said with a forced indifference.

"If you've got a problem then say it" snapped Akio harshly.

"Oh I've got no problems at all, but you must have a lot on your mind, looking after street boys when they suddenly turn up at your doorsteps, worrying about some other woman when you're supposed to be spending time with your lover" said Rika spitefully.

"Have you lost you're mind? What's come over you? Can't you see he's in need of help?" asked Akio.

"He's always in need of help, ever since you let him join your group he needed to be saved, then why are you so sweet to him Akio? You aren't as gentle with every weakling in your group as you are with Sousuke? And you don't ponder over any fight you lost so far. I know what's happening, you're loosing interest in me aren't you?" accused Rika loosing her temper.

"Rika, I…what are you saying. It's nothing like that, I just…"

" Never mind Akio, you don't have to explain anything, I'm leaving now, I just need to cool off, if you still want to remain as my lover then please meet me at my house in a weeks time ok?" said Rika grabbing a small bag and trying to run out of the room.

"Wait Rika, you're over reacting, it's nothing like what you're thinking. I was only thinking about that akatsuki because she felt a bit familiar, don't go please" said Akio.

At this point Sousuke came out of the bathroom dressed in Akio's clothes and with a happier expression on his face. However the expression vanished when he saw Rika with her suitcase and Akio grabbing her hand.

"What's going on?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

"You're what's going on Sousuke, every time Akio and I have an argument it somehow involves you. Do you enjoy making us fight? I just wish you didn't exist" said Rika who was in tears by now.

Sousuke stared at her horrified as he took a step back, "I…but Rika-Sama, what did I do?" he asked, his voice merely a whisper.

"What did you do? You didn't do anything Sousuke, but I know what you plan to do, you plan to get into Akio's pants and be his slut till he names you the head of the group or something like that don't you?" spat Rika wildly.

Sousuke sank to the ground in shock as his eyes began to water again.

"That's enough Rika" said Akio in a low tone.

"No that's not enough, that's never going to be enough for this whore" cried Rika picking up an old tarnished iron mantelpiece and throwing it at the weeping Sousuke.

He looked up and winced but the impact never came. He looked up to see Akio standing above him holding the mantelpiece in his hand.

"Rika, you're taking it too far, if you're going to leave then leave" he said menacingly.

Rika stared at him in shock before her face crumpled up into a leer, " Of course, who am I hitting, it's Akio's darling of course, I must be a crackpot to even think of harming dear, dear, Sousuke" she said her every word dripping with malice and spite.

She picked up her bag and turned around, "Akio, I hate you, you idiot" she cried before running out of the room.

"Rika-San, please wait, I'm sorry for whatever I did, Rika-San" cried Sousuke getting up and trying to run after her. He found Akio gripping his arm.

"Lord Akio, you need to go after her, she could be in danger," said Sousuke.

" I have two men tailing her wherever she goes so she won't be in any danger, right now you need to rest Sousuke" said Akio quietly, his eyes hidden under the shadows of his bangs.

"But Rika-San…" said Sousuke.

"She'll cool off when she reaches her house and then begin regretting it, I'll visit her next week and settle all this, don't worry yourself, just rest now" said Akio.

"Are you sure Lord Akio?" asked Sousuke.

"Yeah" replied Akio picking the boy up and laying him down on the bed.

" I'll be downstairs talking to that old hag for a moment, if you need something just give your chakra a tiny flare and I'll be right there, try to get some sleep" said Akio.

Sousuke nodded but he watched worriedly as Akio retreated out of the room, closing the door quietly.

* * *

"I think this is it" said Sasori staring at a vast lake in front of him.

"Good, it seems the boy I asked directions from was correct" said Akane slipping off her kasa hat.

"Did you really need to kill them all like that?" asked Sasori disdainfully.

"I have to keep up with my title of being the Most Sadistic Person on Earth right?" asked Akane smiling a little.

"Right, well, first thing we have to do is lure the beast out" said Sasori.

"I don't think we really need to do that, can you feel this mist? It's chakra, demonic chakra, one that comes from a tailed beast" said Akane glancing around her.

"Yes, I can, so you suspect the three tails is giving it off?" asked Sasori.

"I think so, it must have sensed my chakra back when I used it on those three men" said Akane.

Sasori gave her a sharp glance, "Did you do that on purpose? To lure the beast out?" he asked.

Akane gave him a wicked smile, "That is a possibility that had entered my mind at that time" she said still smiling.

* * *

Well this chapter was more about Akio than Akane but I can assure most of the next chapter will focus on our protagonists. And if you have any questions about Akio or any other character then feel free to PM me or ask in a review. See you guys next time and Merry Christmas in case I don't manage to get another chapter out before Christmas.


	14. Painful Memories

Christmas is knocking at our doors now so before I say anything I'd like to wish all of you who read this story a very, very merry Christmas and an even merrier Happy New Year (hey that rhymed!). I hope you like the chapter and if you feel like making my Christmas merry then kindly drop a review or two or three or however many you like.

Just to make things clear, the _**BOLD ITALICS**_ parts are the memories while the normal _ITALICS_ parts are thoughts.

* * *

Akane and Sasori stood in front of the Lake of Mists. It was a beautiful place with snow capped mountains bordering the blue sky and an unusual kind of flower all around the lake. However the mist was too heavy for them to be seen clearly.

"How enchanting, this lake sure makes one forget what important job they're here for" said Akane taking a deep breath.

"Since this is your first assignment to capture a tailed beast I would suggest you keep your head out of the clouds and concentrate on luring in the beast" said Sasori frowning.

"What is with you? I already told you I lured in the beast when I attacked those guys back then, all we have to do is let it take the bait" said Akane snappily.

"How can you be sure that it will take the bait, I admit it has animalistic tendencies but that doesn't mean it's completely empty on the top floor, "retorted Sasori, scanning the lake carefully.

Just then the water began bubbling and the mist began blowing away despite there being no wind.

Akane smirked victoriously, "There, what did I tell you?"

Sasori ignored her and took out one scroll from his sleeve. He summoned a puppet which looked like an old woman with her hair tied back. She was short and wore a cloak like garment.

"Hmm, that granny seems faintly familiar, I think I saw her when you died" said Akane regarding the puppet carefully.

"You must have, this is the puppet of Chiyo, my grandmother" said Sasori quietly.

"Oh, did you steal her body from her grave?" asked Akane.

" No, that would have been disrespectful, this is just made to resemble her, in appearance and as well as in power, although it's no where near my Red secret techniques it's still strong enough to take on a jounin level ninja or two" said Sasori.

"Umm, not trying to be rude but we're up against a tailed beast here not a jounin or two" cried Akane as the water began bubbling a bit more.

"I know that, but I just want to try this out and besides…"

Sasori couldn't complete his words as the water rose up into the air in a huge column and a glowing greenish hole appeared in that column as a thick pink hand as thick as a tree trunk appeared out of the hole. It had armor-like scales on its hand which were gray in color. Soon the whole beast appeared out of the green hole. The entire thing was covered in scales which made a crab-like shell all over it and its three tails were like shrimps. It stepped out of the whole as water slopped over the sides of the lake. It had no hind legs. As the water fell back like rain it gave a deafening roar.

"Well, well, looks like the fish has bitten the bait" said Akane eyeing the beast carefully.

" I don't mean to sound like a nagging mother but don't underestimate the beast, there's a reason why it has remained hidden here so long avoiding capture from so many powerful ninja who have targeted it for its immense chakra, you can feel it can't you?" said Sasori severely.

"Yeah I can, any person below chuunin level would feel their chakra becoming sluggish and unresponsive if in the beasts radius" said Akane.

The beast ran its eye over them and gave another roar.

"Heads up, I think it's going to attack us" cried Akane.

The beast thrashed its huge arm as a jet of water shot out of it with surprisingly fast speed.

Sasori was taken aback by the speed of the attack and winced as the water approached him rapidly.

Before it could hit him a blue barrier materialized before him and cracked as the water fell back into the lake.

Sasori glanced at Akane who gave him a meaningless grin.

"Ahem, thanks for that but I could have managed it myself" said Sasori clearing his throat loudly.

Akane continued grinning, "Of course you could" she said.

As the beast roared loudly again they turned their attention more towards it.

"That attack was amazing, it cracked one of my stronger shields with just one hit" said Akane scrutinizing the three tailed turtle.

"Yes well this is the three tailed beast we are talking about, this is an adversary which is not to be taken lightly" said Sasori.

"I hear that" said Akane as the beast roared again.

"Oh good god can't you ever shut up" cried Akane as she charged in doing hand signs.

"Fire Release: Descending Hell Jutsu" she cried as the clouds in the sky cleared up and an enormous inferno rapidly spinning hurtled towards the beast and hit it square on the back.

The turtle gave a roar of pain and thrashed about spraying water everywhere.

"Oh yeah, that was a bull's eye" said Akane.

" Watch out!" cried Sasori as the turtle rose out of the water and with astonishing speed closed the gap between it and Akane.

Its eyes glowed blue as a misty sphere appeared around Akane and swallowed her up.

"_What the hell is that thing"_ thought Sasori as the beast sank back into the water with only the top part of its horn showing on which perfectly balanced stood the misty sphere which was now so deep that neither Akane's body nor her chakra could be seen and felt.

"_This isn't good, I have a very, very bad feeling about this, I should try and get Akane out of there as fast as possible"_ thought Sasori looking extremely worried as the sphere became slightly larger and gave a throb.

* * *

Inside the sphere Akane floated around like it was some sort of huge abyss.

Suddenly there was a flash of light. Akane squinted as she gazed into the light where four shadowy figures stood, obscured.

A soft male voice spoke, _**" Always remember children, keep smiling, the pain you face in the future may be extreme but a smile will be the easiest way out of it, a smile will help you get through it, a smile will help lessen the pain"**_

Akane's eyes widened, "I've heard that before, I've heard that voice before somewhere, somehow I think it's my father, but that's impossible" she said softly.

The light vanished taking with it the four figures as the place descended back into despair and misery.

"What on earth is this place, and what is this dark, dull feeling I feel all around me she thought as she heard the agonized crying of a little girl somewhere.

Looking around she saw a small girl crying her eyes out over the dead bodies of a man and woman and the unconscious bodies of a young girl and boy.

All around the place corpses of dead Shinobi lay half hidden in the snow that was falling.

"_W-w-what is this?"_ thought Akane as her heart gave a painful lurch.

The girl who was crying had her face hidden in the shadows but the faces of the dead and unconscious were vividly clear.

"_Why does this feel so nostalgic? Who are these people? W-what's happening?"_ thought Akane beginning to shake all over.

The people and scene before her dissolved as she found herself in a dark alley way where a group of men who looked like street thugs with their torn off shirt sleeves, ripped pants, cropped hair and a general air of thugs, surrounded a ten year old girl who had been pinned down to the wall.

"_**Please, let me go, I don't know anything"**_ begged the girl whose face could not be seen due to the men surrounding her.

"_**Aw, don't worry, kitty-baby, we're not gonna kill you, we just want to treat you to dinner at our home, it'll be our pleasure"**_ said a man obviously the leader.

"_**No, help, help me somebody, please help"**_cried the girl as the men around her chuckled ominously and moved in closer.

Akane felt a strangling sensation in her chest and screamed, "Noooo, why is all this appearing before me, I don't want to see this, make it stop!"

As if on cue the scene vanished and rematerialized to a burial ground where a funeral was taking place.

The crying people, the sound of the spade digging the earth, the sound of the coffin being lowered into the hole, the sound of an agonized woman crying could be clearly heard.

Standing a little apart from the crowd in black was a girl of fifteen with a sickly man.

"_**Why is that fool of a woman bawling so loudly, it's not like her husband will return if she yells her lungs out"**_ said the girl coldly.

The man smiled at her and ruffled her hair_, __**"This is how love affects people dear one, love that is said to be the most beautiful yet the most terrible emotions of all, falling in love with someone despite knowing the fact that they might leave you any moment is indeed a foolish thing to do, however you can't expect everyone to think like we do"**_said the man as he coughed a little.

"_**You spent the whole of last night outside in that dingy place you call a workplace making that coffin didn't you? Why did you do that when you're clearly going to die at any moment of over-exertion?"**_ asked the girl severely.

The man smiled at her_, __**" I can't stay away from my workplace, it is the only place I belong, the only place I exist, the only reason for me existing, I work, make vessels for the dead, that is my reason for existing, what's yours?" **_

"_**You know as well as I do that I have yet to discover it, so why do you keep asking me that question again and again? I've even begun to doubt whether I have a reason to exist or not"**_ asked the girl a little annoyed.

"_**Ah don't say that lass, everybody who walks on this earth, breathes this air and drinks this water has a reason to live, nobody lives without a purpose, mark my words from the tiniest of insects to the largest of beasts everything has its purpose, as to why I repeatedly ask you if you found yours, I just hope you might miraculously have found an answer"**_ said the man smiling broadly.

When the girl did not reply but seemed to be in deep thought the man ruffled her hair again_, __**" Come on, we have to make a coffin for the woman who owns the brothel down street"**_ he said walking away.

Akane stared at the retreating man as her subconscious mind called out to him, _"Don't go, don't go"_

The present Akane who witnessed the scene began to wonder, _"Why do I feel so burdened, as if I'm never going to see light again, oh heavens what is happening to me"_ she thought as the scene faded and became a small backyard with a man in his late twenties shooting kunai at three wood dummies.

Suddenly the man tripped and fell to the ground panting. A young woman ran up to him, _**"Are you ok Daisuke? Did you hurt yourself?"**_ she asked.

The man raised his head and smiled kindly at the woman, _**"Don't worry, I'm fine Ayako"**_ he said so quietly that his voice was barely audible.

The strangling sensation within Akane changed to guilt as she stared at the two people she loved the most in the world struggling to live in front of her.

" I think I'm going to die, I can't take this any longer, somebody…please help me" thought Akane as tears cascaded down her cheeks as several holes appeared around her displaying scenes from what she had just witnessed.

A snowy road with corpses strewn around, a dark alley with men surrounding a small girl, a burial ground where a man and girl watched a funeral, a small backyard where a young man lay heaving and panting, a modest house with chimneys smoking, a young boy making a clone of himself and smiling proudly, a tall, beautiful girl laughing serenely.

"I can't take this, please kill me somebody, I can't bear this torture anymore kill me, save me please!" cried out Akane as she collapsed onto the ground.

Suddenly she heard a far out voice, a voice that didn't echo in her head and penetrate her.

A sudden image of a young red-haired man with a black cloak with red clouds and a wooden old woman standing beside him appeared in Akane's mind.

She sniffed as she stopped sobbing and gave a tired smile, "I see, so you came to save me, I'm glad…so glad" she thought before everything went black.

* * *

Sasori carried Akane's limp body over his shoulder as he landed nimbly on the banks of the lake.

Using that peculiar sphere of mist seemed to have taxed the beast as it was quietly sinking back into the lake not even having enough energy to open up its portal again. Also the fact that its face and hands were covered with thousands of tiny senbons coated with a mysterious poison.

"_Well I saved her but the cost was a lot more than I thought them to be, it would be best if I retreated for now, with no partner and my half my chakra gone it would be pointless to try and take on the beast even if it were tired"_ thought Sasori as he jumped through the trees leaving behind the bank, the lake and the beast.

* * *

"It was a woman, a woman who was using the jutsu, there was another one as well but he or she didn't attack, it was that woman who did everything, since you had asked me to keep people away from that lake I gave her wrong directions at first but she seemed to know I was lying, she put me under some vague genjutsu, I don't really remember what happened next" said Sousuke quietly shivering a little as Akio wrapped his arms around the boy.

"Don't worry yourself, if it's too tough to speak about then you don't have to" said Akio gently.

"I've told you before Lord Akio, I want to do anything I can to help you, so please let me" said the boy softly.

Akio looked at the boy for sometime before sighing, "Okay continue"

"I don't exactly remember what happened but when I came too I felt a terrible fear gripping me, and I think I remember having blood on my hands, the blood of the two men you sent with me, i-I was so scared I just ran from there as fast as I could, I didn't stop running until I found you, by that time I was so hysterical that I thought they were after me, trying to slaughter me" said Sousuke his voice wavering.

Akio looked up, his eyes blazing with anger.

_"That bitch, she killed those guys and smeared their blood over Sousuke to make him hysterical on purpose, what a sadistic fucking whore"_ he thought angrily.

"I got here as fast as I could and told you all I knew and…" Sousuke's eyes lowered in guilt and shame.

Akio hugged the boy tighter, "Don't worry yourself about Rika, she'll cool down and come running back, she finds it hard to stay away from me goodness knows why" said Akio cheerfully.

" It's because you're such an amazing person Lord Akio, you're kind, and though you might not show it you care a lot for your group and you're followers, and it's extremely admirable of you" said Sousuke sincerely.

Akio gave a rare, genuinely broad smile, "Thanks Sousuke"

Just then there was a soft knocking at the door and Akio got up and opened it cautiously.

A man stood outside in a full body ninja suit with a sleeveless gray coat and bandages covering his whole face except his eyes and nose.

"Hiroshi, what news have you got?" asked Akio stepping aside to let the man into the room.

"Rika-Sama has safely reached her parent's home Lord Akio, I have assigned three men there to make sure of her safety, it seems she will be staying there for a week or two" said the man called Hiroshi.

"And did you investigate the corpses of Yue and Kenji?" asked Akio softly so that Sousuke who was busy playing with a fan Rika had forgotten, would not hear.

"I did, Yue's body is too badly burnt to decipher anything however Kenji's body has revealed lots of results, I believe those Akatsuki are after the deity of the Mist Lake Lord Akio because, Kenji was killed with a lot more chakra than required, almost half the chakra used on him was not required and I think Akatsuki members don't arbitrarily waste chakra" said Hiroshi in a low tone.

"So you're saying Kenji and Yue were killed to lure in the deity?" asked Akio.

"Precisely, that is the most feasible explanation" said Hiroshi.

Akio pondered over this for some time before announcing, " Hiroshi in a week if Rika returns here you will take both her and Sousuke to the main base, I will be setting out for the lake in a week's time, if Rika doesn't reach here by then, leave without her" said Akio glancing at the setting sun outside.

"Hiroshi nodded, "Roger that"

* * *

Well that's it for this chapter. Hope you liked it. I wish you all a very merry Christmas once again and I'll try my best to update once more before New Year. Hope to see you again soon. Sayonara.


	15. Capture of the Three Tailed Giant Turtle

Ho, ho, ho it's me again Santa Claus, just kidding. Hope you all had a great Christmas and received lots of presents. I would really like to thank SweetScarlet97 heartlessRayne for reviewing so promptly to the last two chapters. And I also thank all those guys who read the story consistently so far, there's more to come.

* * *

Sasori laid Akane down on a soft bed of grass beyond a small wood which separated them from the Lake of Mists.

5 hours passed by in silence as neither Akane did not wake up nor did Sasori speak.

The Three Tailed Giant Turtle had retreated to the depths of the lake not having enough energy to open up the portal it came by.

Sasori grimaced at the sphere inside which his partner had been caught.

"_I should have remembered earlier, the Leader warned me that it might use that attack, Illusionary Mist, which forces the target to view the most painful chapters of their life until they begged to be killed and in the end take their own life, if I hadn't arrived when I did then she probably would have strangled herself"_ thought Sasori glancing at his unconscious partner.

"_Do I care?"_ thought Sasori as he continued gazing at his partner.

"_Do I care even the slightest bit if this brat dies, no I don't care, I shouldn't be caring, damn this human heart which holds too many emotions, I don't give a damn about her, but if that were the case why was I feeling so scared when I saw her being attacked, I wonder"_ thought Sasori building up a small fire.

Feeling the heat of the fire near her Akane gave a soft moan and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"I see you're awake woman, get up and lets go" said Sasori standing up.

Akane did not reply but slowly sat up and stared at him.

"What're you waiting for? We have a tailed beast to capture, and we have to get it done within a week's time" snapped Sasori.

"W-what happened t-to me back t-there?" asked Akane shivering a little although she still had her cloak on. Her voice was dry and cracked.

"It was Illusionary mist, a special ability of the beast, I should have warned you about it, it forces the victim to relive the most painful moments in their past to the point of suicide, it's a good thing I managed to get you out of there before you stabbed yourself or clawed out your throat or something like that" said Sasori turning and facing away from Akane.

Akane gazed into the fire which was merrily burning away in the darkness.

"It was all an illusion?" she asked quietly.

Sasori gave a small nod, "Yes, whatever you say was an illusion, none of it happened right now"

Akane brought her knees to her chin, "I'm glad" she whispered, "I'm very glad that it was an illusion" she said burying her head in her knees.

_Sasori glanced at her perplexed, "What is one to do in this sort of situation, if Deidara were here he would probably explode bombs under her nose, if Tobi were here he would try to climb on her back, if Hidan were here he would probably rape her and offer her kidneys to Jashin, if Kakuzu were here he would probably put her to sleep and loot her, but what am I going to do? What a bother, goodness knows why I had to be partnered with a woman"_ he thought feeling extremely awkward.

"Stop watering the earth, pull yourself together, you're an Akatsuki, you can't allow people to see your tears, if you do they'll take you to be weak and weak is one thing you cannot afford to be considered in this world" said Sasori.

Akane did not reply but just continued to cry quietly.

"Do you want the world to know how weak you are? You are proving yourself a disgrace to Akatsuki, get up this instant brat before I drag you up, weakling" spat Sasori loosing his patience.

Akane got up and glared at him, "If you dare call me a weakling again I'll kill you, I am the Black Assassin, I cannot be defeated by the likes of you" she said angrily.

"_Thank goodness, it seems my taunting has reverted her back to her fiery old self again"_ thought Sasori almost smiling but managing to keep an indifferent look.

"And what exactly do you mean by the likes of me?" cried Akane when suddenly a huge surge of chakra caught her and Sasori's attention.

"It seems the beast has attracted not only us but also some unwanted guests as well" said Sasori grimly jumping onto a tree.

"Should we dispose of them?" asked Akane jumping on beside him.

" No, I think it would be best if we lay low for a while and simply observe, it may be to our advantage" said Sasori as he began leaping through the trees followed closely by Akane.

They arrived at a point where they could see clearly well what was occurring on the lake.

The beast had been lured out again this time by a small boy, a young woman and a man wearing glasses in a boat.

At the sight of the man Sasori gave a frown.

"_Kabuto, what is that traitor doing here, if he's here then that means Orochimaru is involved but that would be impossible, I heard for sure that the Uchiha kid had killed Orochimaru_" thought Sasori.

"It seems even Konoha has caught wind of this" stated Akane staring at the bank where a few Konoha ninja were fighting some of Orochimaru's goons.

"This isn't good, we're up against both Konoha and Orochimaru here and it would be a pretty poor disposition for us if we get caught" said Sasori.

"On the other hand if they can tire out the beast enough then our job will become a lot easier" said Akane.

" I wonder what Orochimaru wants with the beast, I don't know about his plans anymore seeing that my spy has turned into his right hand man, by the way, didn't you say you worked for him once?" asked Sasori.

"Yes, but it was just a small assassination mission" said Akane.

"He wouldn't have hired an unknown assassin for a small assassination, who did he want assassinated?" asked Sasori.

"It is against the code of assassins to speak secrets about their clients whoever they may be" said Akane.

"Stop acting righteous woman and tell me who did he want assassinated? Remember you're in the akatsuki now, not a wandering assassin, whatever information you have may be useful" snapped Sasori.

Akane glared reproachfully at him for sometime and then turned her head, "I refuse to tell you, tomorrow if for some reason I make a run for it and join Konoha and tell them all your plans it wouldn't look to good for you now would it?" she said.

"Firstly if you make a run for it you will be hunted down and slaughtered, secondly I know you won't join Konoha even if you have to die, you hate them don't you" said Sasori still glaring at her but with the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Well…I… Konoha isn't the only hidden village in existence" said Akane after a few minutes of pondering.

Sasori merely smirked and turned back to the lake.

"It seems that boy in the boat is manipulating the beast, can you feel the vile chakra its carrying?" noted Sasori staring at a long haired boy in the small boat.

"The boy is angry, his chakra is leaking out, and I think that's what's enraging the beast, come to think of it why is the beast without a jinchuriki?" asked Akane.

"At some point of time in the distant past, it was sealed within the Fourth Mizukage, but due to some unknown reason it was extracted from him and set free in the wild, since its natural habitat is the lake it was left here but since the lake is too small for it to be a natural home the turtle created a portal into an unknown dimension and lives there, that portal is directly connected to the lake through which it can move back and froth whenever it wants except when its chakra reserves become too low" explained Sasori.

The two akatsuki members waited till the fight was deemed over.

"I think Konoha has retreated for now, no doubt they'll be back before long, I think we should seize this opportunity and grab the beast while it's weakened" said Sasori.

"Whatever you say boss" said Akane giving a mock salute.

"First of all we'll have to lure the beast out again, you can attack it for sometime while I prepare to have my Red Secret knock it unconscious and also a insert a poison into my grandmother's puppet which will make sure it stays alive but doesn't wake up, that effect will last for a week by which time we have to get it sealed" said Sasori.

"Roger that" said Akane feeling a slight adrenaline at getting to capture and fight a tailed beast and also getting a chance to have her revenge.

"And it might be too much to ask but if you can keep the beast restrained while I stab it with the poison it would help a lot" said Sasori.

"Hmm, that will be bit of a problem, no wait, yes I think I can do it" said Akane.

"Are you sure?" asked Sasori doubtfully.

"No I'm can't say I'm sure but it won't hurt to try will it?" asked Akane.

Sasori stared incredulously at her.

"Okay it might hurt a little bit but we live for pain don't we?" she asked.

"No we don't but never mind, we don't have too much time, lets get moving" said Sasori leaping forwards.

Akane followed after him pondering over whether she would be able to restrain the beast or not. Concentrating so much she bumped into Sasori's back causing her to lose her balance and fall off the branch.

Before she could fall too far Sasori grabbed her hand and pulled her back up.

"Watch where you're stepping woman, I'm not responsible if you break a leg or an arm" said Sasori gruffly.

"Umm, yeah, thanks, nice of you, can you leave my hand now?" asked Akane blushing a little.

Sasori jerked his hand away from hers and suddenly put on his kasa hat so his face wasn't clearly visible.

"You won't be able to perform your jutsu properly with that on" stated Akane.

"It err, it helps me to concentrate, yes, and stop worrying about me and think about your lookout" said Sasori.

"Fine, fine, I was just thanking you" said Akane jumping off and landing on the gravelly bank of the lake.

Sasori jumped down beside her and called on his Chiyo puppet.

"Get ready for a spectacle, though not at all my view of true art Deidara's flashy bomb-like attacks can be useful in these sort of situations" said Sasori as the puppet held up its arms towards the lake and stretched its palm, a fair sized hole fell open and slight smoke started coming out.

"Ignite" said Sasori as a medium sized missile with a scorpion symbol on it was thrown out of the socket. It flew around in circles till it reached the middle of the lake and denoted.

Instead of making a loud explosion several smaller bombs flew out of it and exploded with greater force than Akane imagined.

"I had Deidara make those to specially fit into my puppets, the fool was very adamant to make them colorful but I convinced him not to" said Sasori licking his lips.

"How exactly did you convince him?" asked Akane looking a little sick.

Sasori gave her a crooked smile, "Magicians don't reveal their tricks"

Just then the beast, enraged by all the noise and heat swam out of the lake and began roaring in rage.

"You know if it hadn't caught me in that sphere thingy I would probably feel sorry for the beast, it's not getting any rest today" said Akane.

"Our mission is not to give the beast any rest but to capture it and seal it away" said Sasori.

"I know that I was just kidding" cried Akane as Sasori slipped off his cloak.

"What're you removing that for?" asked Akane.

Sasori blinked at her for sometime before his eyes went down, "Oh, I forgot I was in a human body now, previously I used to keep the scroll for summoning my hundred puppets in a compartment in my back" said Sasori looking a little melancholy.

"Okay, but whatever you're summoning do it fast, that beast is really angry now" said Akane moving back one step because the beast was raging and spreading huge waves of water all over the bank.

"Right, you keep it distracted for sometime while I summon everything required" said Sasori.

Akane ran forwards dodging the waves of water.

"Okay turtle you're going to pay for what you did earlier, Lightning Release: Double Lightning Quake Jutsu" she cried as she submerged into the water, came up and punched the face of the turtle. She then jumped back away from the enraged beast to form triangular bolt of lightning between her hands.

She then split it in two smaller triangles and charged towards the beast that was too slow to react. The attack left two streams of light which Akane used to strike the beast hard which caused it to roar with pain, she began repeatedly hitting it with the streaks of lightning in a zig-zag formation finally slamming its face with a kick.

The beast fell back a little and then roared loudly as it gathered raw chakra near its mouth and began compressing it.

"Ha, a direct attack like that won't on me you fat lump of flesh!" taunted Akane.

The beast released the attack but unlike what Akane had expected a single ball of chakra did not shoot towards her but two different balls hurtled in her direction.

"That still won't be enough" said Akane easily dodging both but to her shock they didn't fly past her but followed her upwards where she dodged.

" _Damn, these things are following me and I don't think I can outrun them too long, but if even one of them hits me in my present condition it will be my end_" thought Akane gritting her teeth in frustration.

She turned and did hand signs, "Earth Release: Mud Wall" she cried as a huge wall of hardened mud formed between her and the balls.

But as soon as the balls came in touch with the wall it exploded and did no harm to the attack.

"_Damn that's the only earth Release powerful move I know,"_ thought Akane when suddenly the balls neared her dangerously.

"I've got to do something" cried Akane as she did some more hand signs.

"Barrier Art: Ultimate Protection Jutsu" she cried as an invisible barrier formed around her.

The first ball hit her and began pushing on the barrier which was slowly beginning to develop cracks.

"I can't hold on much longer, damn it why is this chakra so strong, I refuse to die to some fat turtle" thought Akane as the first ball disintegrated. Just then the second ball hurtled to fill its vacant position.

As soon as it hit the barrier it broke into tiny shards.

Akane started falling and the ball shot down towards her.

"Is this the end? Am I going to die here?" she thought as every second the ball neared her felt like a year.

"_Daisuke, Ayako, Tomoya, I can't leave them all like this, and Sasori-San, much as I hate that Mr. I-Me-Myself I just feel I can't leave him, I can't die, please don't let me die"_ she prayed as she closed her eyes.

With a resounding splash Akane fell back into the chilled waters of the lake.

The cold had forced her to open her eyes wide.

She saw the ball had vanished and dozens of puppets in red cloaks were crawling all over the beast stabbing it in various places.

"H-he saved me…again" she thought as she struggled to the banks of the lake.

"Stop lounging there women, its time for you to restrain the beast, if you can't do it then say so" shouted Sasori struggling to keep the beast back with his chakra stings.

Akane stared at him for some time before she got up.

She closed her eyes and calmly walked onto the water.

Then she increased her speed and streaked towards the beast and jumped onto its shell.

Her cloak tore open as ten chains emerged from her back and wrapped the beast up in a criss-crossed manner.

"I can give you a maximum of five minutes, I can't hold it back more than that" yelled Akane as the beast struggled to free itself.

"That will be enough" said Sasori running onto the water with his Chiyo-puppet.

He neared the beast in two minutes and shot the puppet forward.

The beast though bound let out a sonic wave of water which caused the puppet to fall back.

"Hurry!" yelled Akane, "I can't…hold on much longer" she cried.

The Chiyo puppet flew forwards controlled by chakra strings.

Suddenly the beast broke out of the chains and shot forwards but unfortunately it shot in the very direction the puppet was flying and the wooden Chiyo raised an injection like hand and stabbed the beast over its right eye which was already injured.

The beast fell back roaring and thrashing but over a span of fifteen minutes it calmed down and fell unconscious.

"Well done, that poison is quite effective" said Akane crawling up to the banks again.

"Yes, it is my own poison after all, usually my poison spread over a painful three days but in this case I made an exception" said Sasori.

"Well we did it" said Akane sounding extremely tired.

"_Humph, the fool, does she think she can fool me, it's clear she's almost spent all her chakra and can't walk another step without fainting"_ thought Sasori grimacing.

"Can you heal yourself to walk back to the base?" asked Sasori fiddling with his ring.

"No, I can't, I carry medical supplies that doesn't mean I'm a medical ninja" said Akane sitting down looking beaten down.

"We can't stick around here too long, Konoha or Orochimaru may be back at any time" said Sasori when suddenly the Leader's voice echoed from the ring.

"Am I correct in presuming you managed to capture the beast?" asked the cold voice.

"Yes that's right, but the problem now is how we'll bring it back to the base since it doesn't have a jinchuriki and its too big to carry around, also Akane has almost spent all of her chakra" said Sasori.

"Leave the beast there and return to the Amegakure headquarters since it's the closest one from your location, I will be sending Konan there with reinforcements, but don't wait for her" came the order.

"But if someone arrives while the beast is left unsupervised..."

"Do not worry, it won't take long for us to reach there, please depart from there as fast as possible, and I think you can help Takigawa-San to the village nearby can't you? I thought you could, good job Sasori, I'll speak with you at the base" ordered the voice and the signal was gone.

"Drat, well woman, do I need to carry you or can you walk or you own" barked Sasori.

"I'm not handicapped thank you, I can walk pretty fine as long as you don't move too fast" retorted Akane who had applied some medicine over her wounds.

"I should certainly hope so" said Sasori putting on his cloak and hat.

"And I've taken some soldier pills, my chakra should be replenished in an hour or so" said Akane putting on her hat and draping her torn cloak over her shoulders like a coat.

However when Akane attempted to walk more than ten steps she collapsed.

Sasori gave an irritated sigh, "I really do have to carry you don't I?" he asked.

"Well you're welcome to leave me here and get lost if you want" snapped Akane.

"Much as I would love doing that Leader-Sama's orders were to bring you to the nearest village and get you healed," said Sasori picking up Akane and throwing her unceremoniously over his shoulders.

"Hey what do you think I am your dead wood puppets, how dare you carry me like this, I'll pull out all your hair and stuff them up your sorry ass, put me down this instant"

The screams echoed through the forest all night as they finally appeared at the village on the other side.

* * *

Well that was quite long. And I didn't expect to get it finished so fast. Yay me! So don't forget to give me your feedback and I probably won't update anymore on this story for this year so I hope you enjoyed reading the last chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. For 2010 at least. Happy New Year to all you people out there and hope you get blessed by god and I get blessed by reviews. Toodles.


	16. In Love or Not?

Hi guys. Well I wasn't going to update this story anymore till I had finished updating a few chapters of my other story on fictionpress but for some vague reason I'm feeling very fond of this story now so here is the 16th chapter of the 'Reason for Existing'. Hope you all enjoy reading it and please leave me a review when you're done. Thanks again to SweetScarlet97 and heartlessRayne for reviewing to the previous chapter, I love you guys.

* * *

The sealing process for the Three Tailed Giant Turtle was almost complete.

For Akane Takigawa it was the most strenuous process in her entire life.

The constant pressure of feeling the freaky statue on which she was standing, pull at her chakra was irritating. Also had it not been for her fairly good chakra control she would have fainted long ago.

Suddenly the ninth and final eye on the Statue of the outer path opened and the beast gave a roar of agonized pain as it began to fade into violet chakra.

The chakra floated up to the statue and soon there was nothing left but a large empty space.

"Well done everybody, we have secured another tailed beast for our organization, I will now issue your orders to you for the rest of the month, Takigawa-San and Sasori, Itachi and Kisame, Deidara and Tobi, you all will stay on standby till you receive further orders, is that clear?" asked Pain his cold ringed eyes watching the said members.

The six members nodded.

"Zetsu will infiltrate the Village Hidden in Stars and obtain a list of scrolls, come to me later Zetsu and I'll give you the list, Hidan and Kakuzu, you two will enter the Lightning Country, your orders are to assassinate the Daimyo's assistant" said Konan.

"His assistant? Why in the fucking name of Jashin should I go there and butcher the assistant?" yelled Hidan indignantly.

"Zetsu has discovered that this man is planning to assassinate the jinchuriki of the Lightning country, we cannot let that happen at any costs as that would seriously put a hamper in our goals, before he can kill anyone, you must kill him, this mission is of extreme importance, one that I wouldn't trust you with Hidan but since Itachi and Sasori's teams have just returned from missions and Deidara's team isn't up to the job, I have no alternative but to send you out, Kakuzu please see that the mission is completed successfully" said Pain.

"What's that supposed to mean you fucking dipshitiing little…?"

Hidan's rant ended as Pain's rinnegan become more pronounced.

" While you are under my organization's roof Hidan, you shall do as you're told without questioning me, do you understand, I hope you do because if you don't it wouldn't take very long for me to dispose of you, immortal or not" said Pain threateningly.

Hidan didn't reply but continued muttering and swearing under his breath.

"That's all for now everyone, everyone on standby is to return t the base closest to them and remain there until summons for another meeting is sent" said Konan as her hologram flickered followed by Pain's.

The three teams on standby were the only one physically present there and they jumped down.

"Well it's better than last time, we had to seal the Six Tails three members lesser than we have now and it took a day longer" said Kisame.

"Damn I feel my back's going to break, yeah" said Deidara bending over.

"Oh no, do you want me to rub it for you senpai? What do you want? Oil? Soap? That slippery cream you were applying on your genitals the other day?" asked Tobi.

"Shut up you fool, yeah" cried Deidara going red and smacking Tobi on the back hard so that the cheerful masked member fell on his face.

"Tch, tch, how vulgar" said Akane high handedly.

"What's that? You got something to say missy, yeah?" asked Deidara glaring at Akane.

"Oh no, I wouldn't be as foolish as to say something about your disgusting, self-pleasuring activities now would I?" asked Akane disdainfully with her nose screwed up.

"Keep your nose down or you'll breathe in a fly" joked Kisame.

"Flies don't breathe in other flies Kisame, yeah" said Deidara.

"I suppose that's true, but I don't think multi-mouthed terrorists or blue skinned fishes reserve the right to comment on anybody else do they?" replied Akane coolly.

"You trying to pick a fight with me, yeah?" yelled Deidara.

"Maybe if you got your self some eyes and ears to replace those mouths you would understand when people state the truth and stop asking meaningless questions" said Akane smirking.

Deidara marched right up to her and yelled in her face, "You wanna take this outside?" he cried, his hands itching towards his pouch.

"How nice of you to ask but I'm perfectly fine where I am" said Akane.

"Yeah you mean you're perfectly too scared to even get up, can't move an inch without Danna supervising you can't you?" yelled Deidara.

"It's a pity you should say that, seeing as you control your partner so extraordinarily well" said Akane looking bored.

"You try having a partner like Tobi and see how well you can control him" yelled Deidara.

"Oh I daresay any other member in this organization including me could control him, because we have something called brains, which sadly you don't have in the slightest degree" sneered Akane with a nasty smile on her face.

While the bickering was going on Tobi had been staring at the two fighters drinking up every word being spoken.

Itachi and Sasori had retired to their own rooms. Kisame stayed back to add fuel to the fire and pass snide comments on both Deidara and Akane.

"Okay, I've had enough" yelled Deidara stuffing his hand into his pouch and molding some clay.

He produced two humanoid bombs that ran towards Akane.

Akane took out a long katana and sliced them into pieces.

"Was that it? How pathetic" she sneered as Deidara smirked.

" You're pretty stupid if you think that's all it takes to get rid of my bombs, my astounding art is extremely persistent on showing itself of to the maximum, yeah" said Deidara.

The bombs reformed and charged quickly towards Akane.

Just before they could reach her, the fluid appeared out of her hand and enveloped the bomb just as Deidara denoted them with his usual command, "Katsu!"

The bombs exploded within the liquid blowing it to tiny droplets which instantly gathered and reformed into a form resembling a butterfly.

"Beautiful isn't it? I like to call it Ryutai Tsubasa (Winged Fluid), though I wouldn't call it art" said Akane.

"What the hell is that stuff, yeah/" said Deidara eyeing the fluttering fluid butterfly suspiciously.

"I wouldn't expect a brutish rouge like you to understand the finesse of this technique, you see I believe in something that you probably never even heard in your pathetic life, elegance" said Akane.

"Could you try to talk like a normal person? You speak as if you're some angel descended from the heavens, all your nonsensical chatter about elegance and finesse's got my head reeling, yeah" yelled Deidara.

"Oh is it reeling? Probably because of the empty space in it" retorted Akane as sparks began forming between her and Deidara.

'Why you" yelled Deidara pushing his hand in his pouch again when Sasori caught it.

"Enough fooling around brats, woman, get back to your room, I want to speak to you, Deidara, you know what to do" said Sasori looking extremely menacing.

Despite the red0-haired puppet master's scary looks Akane rustled up the courage to protest, "I don't take orders from you and I…"

She turned and started walking to her room as Sasori gave her a clear deathly look.

Minutes later she was sitting on her bed with her legs folded while Sasori stood towering above her, glaring at her.

"You can sit down you know, I can see you just as well" said Akane not looking at him.

"I will sit when I want to, first I want an explanation of your outrageous behavior back there" said Sasori clearly angry.

"Excuse me? How does this concern you?" asked Akane firing up.

"It concerns me because, unfortunately for me you happen to be my partner" said Sasori.

"Oh really? Well pardon me but I don't remember you being so particular about me being your partner when I was yelling my head of at that blonde haired bimbo" said Akane.

"You're right, I couldn't care less whilst you two were shouting nonsense at each other but turning it into a full scale battle would have reduced the place to rubble" said Sasori.

"Why? Is the akatsuki so cheap that they can't build a proper base of meeting? I for one think…"

"You know as well as I do that there was a sealing process here a few minutes before you began you're brawl, the chakra pressure of 11 s-Ranked Shinobi along with the chakra of the three tailed beast were straining to get out in this base, I would think the akatsuki should be commended for building walls which could withstand all that" said Sasori angrily.

Akane's defiant gaze faltered a bit, "Well…I, why didn't you stick up for me then? If you were so worried about the building breaking down?" she asked changing the subject.

"I didn't stick up for you because there was no point in it" replied Sasori.

"Oh of course, why should it have a point in it? Everything Akane does is pointless and useless isn't it?" yelled Akane.

"Don't twist my words woman, I am saying there was no point to the fight, sticking up for either one of you morons would only cause more trouble than required, and that would displease the Leader quite a bit, didn't you see how he dealt with Hidan? You do not want to displease that man" said Sasori.

"Oh so you'll just sit quietly with your tail between your legs because you're scared stiff of the Leader will you? That's utterly pathetic" spat Akane.

"This is not some village society Akane" said Sasori raising his voice slightly.

Akane started a bit at the use of her name but still stared mutinously at him.

" This is the akatsuki, every person here myself included is a multi-murderer, we have killed thousands of people over the years, don't think this is some sort of play town where you can do whatever you like, there are people here with powers so vast that they would leave you staring" yelled Sasori.

"So I'm weak? That's what you're insinuating aren't you? Akasuna no Sasori" said Akane bitterly.

"I'm not insinuating anything, I'm merely warning you not to get on the bad side of certain people present here" said Sasori exasperated.

"Fine, I won't, happy? Happy you've warned the little, immature, baby Akane of the big bad danger present in the Akatsuki, fine, go and be happy with you're pieces of dead wood, I… see if I care" shouted Akane grabbing her cloak and jumping out of the window.

Sasori sat down on a chair and rubbed his temples and gave a large sigh.

"You'll blow the room away with large sighs like those puppeteer" said a gruff voice from the door.

Sasori groaned siolently," What do you want Kisame, I'm not in a mood for your nonsense right now" he said.

"I can see that, I was just wondering about something, you into that chick or something?" asked Kisame leaning on the door, with his arms folded and his spiky hair almost touching the ceiling.

"I don't understand what you mean by into" said Sasori.

"You know, you like that chick or what?" asked Kisame.

Sasori sat up straight and glared at the shark man.

"Why on earth would I have such ghastly emotions" said Sasori.

"I've been in this organization pretty long, and I for one thought you were actually worried about the girl, you were worried Hidan or someone would attack her if she continued making enemies like she did with Deidara right?" said Kisame grinning.

Sasori glared at him but seeing that it had no effect on Kisame he looked down, "I have no such feelings towards my partner, that insufferable, insolent little brat"

"Or so you say, come on admit it, you're in love with the girl aren't you" said Kisame.

Sasori got up and looked directly into Kisame's eyes.

" Listen well Kisame, even though I am no longer in my puppet form, it has been too long, too long since I've felt the emotions you speak of, and it will take a lot for me to feel the way you seem to think I feel" said Sasori.

Kisame merely stared back at him, "So you wouldn't mind if I had a go at the girl myself?"

Sasori's back stiffened a little and his eyes displayed a momentary anger but it disappeared as fast as it came.

"I really couldn't care less, now I would ask you to stop poking your nose and go back to whatever you're doing" said Sasori walking out and entering his own room next door, slamming the door shut.

Kisame simply gave a small laugh and walked back to his own room.

* * *

Well I can't believe I actually managed to get another chapter out before New Years. Granted it's a little short but hey, I did it in an hour. Please do review, see you next time.


	17. BlondeBimbo vs Fluid Bitch

Hi, hi, hi. I'm really happy to get to write another chapter before 2011 hits us. So you all people out there please enjoy and I hope you have a wonderful 2011. It's not gonna be so wonderful for me cause I'm shifting schools and I'm rather sad about leaving my friends, but I'm glad I still have my stories, and my readers to hang on to. It feels good to have support even if you go to the west end of Alaska (providing you carry a compute or laptop that is!).

Well I've babbled long enough, please enjoy the chapter and let me know how you feel about it.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.

* * *

_That lousy jerk" _"thought Akane furiously as she marched through the halls of the Akatsuki base she was in.

"_That snooty-faced cartoon, that lousewort, that swine cress, I can't stand him, how I'd love to stab that jerk, that bent nose macoma, that hairy mopalia, that measled cowry, that damned pignut!"_ she thought as she clenched her fists tightly.

"How dare he suggest that I'm a child, just because his body is a few years older and because he saved me a couple of times or so he thinks I'm some sort of immature brat who needs to be chaperoned every second of every day" she said aloud to herself.

Not noticing where she was going a door opened right before her and slammed into her nose hard causing her to topple over and land with a bump on the hard, cold, stone floor.

"Hey, can't you watch when you're opening the door" she yelled as a male figure towered over her.

"What's that? You got a problem bitch, yeah?" yelled Deidara with his hands on his hip and his eyes narrowed.

"_Oh boy, just my freaking luck it had to be him"_ thought Akane as she got up and stared back boldly at the blonde art-lover.

"Of course I have a problem you damn bimbo, you just slammed your door into my face and made me fall over, how the heck do you expect me to not have a problem" yelled Akane.

"It's not my fault if you can't bloody watch where you're going, or have you suddenly turned blind and can't walk without groping the walls or something, yeah?" asked Deidara.

"Ha! That's a great one coming from some one who wears a mechanical eye patch to ward of a genjutsu, I can't imagine how a looser like you could worm your way into the akatsuki" cried Akane.

"Oh yeah? Well for your information I managed to capture a tailed beast while keeping its jinchuriki alive without fainting at least ten times which is more than I can say for you, yeah" cried Deidara.

"If you don't remember the beast you captured was the one tailed beast while the one I had to capture was the three tailed one, now can I trust you to do that much calculation at least you toadflax?" yelled Akane.

"Excuse me, but you didn't even have a jinchuriki to face which I did, not to mention the jinchurki was a freaking kage and we were fighting in a freaking desert, yeah" retorted Deidara slamming his hand on the wall beside him.

"Puh-lease, I've fought the kazekage briefly and it doesn't take an akatsuki to capture him alive, no doubt even a weakling, pansy like you could do it" said Akane giving a short, derisive laugh.

"What did you call me, you damn fluid bitch, yeah" yelled Deidara who look absolutely livid.

"Got a problem hearing? I called you a weakling, pansy, and I'll call you a hundred times more you loose-limbed lard head" yelled Akane who did not seem any less angry.

"That's it" yelled Deidara pushing his hand into his pouch and creating a clay bird.

"You wanna find out who the real weakling is you brat, yeah?" cried Deidara jumping onto his bird.

"Why not? Like I'd give up a chance to kick your almost non-existent butt" cried Akane grabbing a kunai and leaping through the open window to land on the training ground outside.

"Damn you, consider yourself lucky you get to die at the hands of true art, yeah" cried Deidara.

"Oh please, what with the red-haired donkey with his dead pieces of wood and you with your little firecrackers my life's not worth living" cried Akane.

"You're life's not worth living all right, but that's not because of anyone else, it's because of your pathetic weakness" cried Deidara creating two bombs.

" Oh please, not those again!" scoffed Akane but her eyes widened with shock as they exploded just a bit too far from her and a sweetened smoke filled the entire area.

"Now, die by the hands of true art yeah" came Deidara's voice from somewhere as Akane quickly looked around in apprehension.

Deidara jumped off his bird as it streaked forward and neared Akane.

"Barrier Art: First Shield of An" cried Akane somewhere in the smoke and before Deidara's bird could denote itself it met with a brown shield and crumpled into pieces.

"Fire Release: Mist Blaze Dance Technique" cried Akane as the smoke around her was blown away by a misty wind.

When the mist and smoke cleared Akane saw Deidara now riding atop a large sized clay dragon. A triumphant smirk had lit his face.

"What're you smiling about" said Akane taking a step forward.

"Uh-oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you, yeah" said Deidara mockingly.

"What? Why would I?" asked Akane when suddenly she realized what had happened and quickly withdrew her foot and glanced around her looking troubled.

"You…you filled this place with mines didn't you? The whole field? The bird, smoke and smaller bombs were just diversions weren't they?" asked Akane.

"That's right, you're not half as dumb as you look, I've filled the earth around you with my bombs, each of them are so close to each other that if you set even one off it's bye, bye, training ground and bye, bye, brat, yeah" said Deidara.

"And what if I don't move" asked Akane staring at him.

"It leaves me free to do…this" said Deidara as his dragon's mouth opened and a number of small bombs came pouring out of it.

"Goodness you are a fool if you think that's going to be enough to stop me" said Akane as her fluid emerged from her hand and enveloped the bombs and reformed after they blew it apart.

"Ah yes, I anticipated you would do that, I'm sure you can stop my aerial bombs that way, but the question is, can you do it fast enough, yeah?" asked Deidara with an evil smirk upon his face.

More clay bombs came pouring out of the dragon and hurtled down towards the ground.

"_Damn! How long can he keep vomiting that stuff"_ thought Akane as her fluid was blown apart again but before they had time to reform a smaller version of the dragon Deidara was riding on, forced itself out of the mouth of the larger dragon and flew with amazing speed towards Akane.

"_Good grief, I can't believe I'm being forced to use this against an opponent like him,"_ thought Akane as she performed a few quick hand signs, "Barrier Art: Second Shield of An" she cried as a silver barrier formed between her and the smaller dragon.

The dragon hit it with all it's might but the shield withstood the effect.

"Katsu!" yelled Deidara as the smaller dragon along with all the small bombs in the battlefield exploded.

"Oh yes, this is true art, this is a bang, art is a bang!" cried Deidara in triumph as the field below him ignited and exploded releasing a huge amount of smoke and making large and small chunks of earth fly through the air.

As the smoke cleared he saw an empty battlefield with a number of holes all around it.

"Gone and done with, I wonder if she's dead, yeah" said Deidara aloud not at all bothered at the possibility of having killed a fellow akatsuki member.

"Keep wondering, it's perfect for simpletons like you" came a sneering voice from above him.

Deidara's eyes widened in astonishment as he quickly turned and saw himself facing the very person he thought he had killed a moment ago. She was riding on her fluid which had assumed the shape of a mammoth sized butterfly.

"How…that's impossible, how the hell did you escape from my dragon and my clay mine" stammered Deidara too shocked to even utter his trademark 'yeah'.

"I don't understand a brutishly idiotic person like you to understand the concept but I used a shield that blocked my attack" said Akane.

"Don't joke around with me, it's impossible, no shield could have withstood all those bombs together, yeah" cried Deidara.

"I beg to differ, there are many a shields which could have done that but we won't go into that right now, the shield I used, runs on a very simple concept, it creates a 360 degree barrier around me and a larger 360 degree barrier around that shield, whatever attack is used in the space between the two shields is annihilated and it's effects are turned to null and void" explained Akane.

Deidara stared at her before frowning, "But then how come there's so much smoke down there?"

Akane gave a leer, "You're about to find out very soon, Fire Release: Running Fire Jutsu"

The ground below Deidara gave a crack as a huge circle of fire erupted out of it.

Suddenly it became enhanced and became a huge inferno twirling and destroying everything it came in contact with.

"How… why is it enhancing itself, yeah?" asked Deidara for the first time seeming a little daunted.

"Don't you remember? I used Fire Release: Mist Blaze Dance Technique, didn't you wonder why there was no fire involved in that jutsu? That's because it has a delayed reaction, the highly combustible mist which is released settles around the field, the use of any fire jutsu will triggered it's effects and enhanced it's powers threefold, frightening isn't it?" said Akane smiling calmly.

Deidara's dragon flew upwards to escape the reach of the raging inferno but found itself being pushed back for unknown reasons.

"What the fuck is this, I can't move forward, yeah" yelled Deidara as his dragon hit the invisible wall unsuccessfully.

"Oops, pardon me, I'm forgetting my manners, I forgot to mention the second ability of my Barrier Art Second Shield of An, anyone in range of the larger barrier excepting me cannot escape out of it without extremely powerful attacks, or some sort of kekke genkai or unique kinjutsu, I doubt you're going to have the opportunity to use anything of that sort now, so I guess it's my turn to bid you adieu" drawled Akane as Deidara and his dragon disappeared in the huge blaze which was kept within the barrier.

Akane jumped down from her butterfly and walked away into the headquarters.

After walking a few steps she winced as she found her knee bleeding profusely.

"One of those damn bombs must have denoted before I got the chance to use my shield, dratted sneaky bastard" cursed Akane as she hobbled towards the infirmary wing.

Trying not to meet her partner on the way to the hospital wing she hurried along and bumped into someone around a corner and fell down.

"Darn it, what is it with me today" she muttered getting up quickly to see who she bumped into.

"Oh, it's you, sorry I wasn't watching" said Akane at an attempt to be polite.

Itachi gave her an indifferent look before his intense black eyes strayed to her knee.

"Oh that's nothing, just a little scratch, you know, part of being an S-ranked criminal in an equally dangerous sounding organization" said Akane finding it difficult to be her usual arrogant and level-headed self in front of the Uchiha.

"I saw your battle with Deidara" he said plainly looking out towards the battlefield which was now filled with smoke.

"Oh, umm, yes, well I must say this, I have…"

"You're strong, your deception skills are better than Deidara's who I admit is good at that sort of combat" said Itachi again in his low tone, yet his voice was not dull, it was soft.

"Oh, well thanks, although it doesn't take much to defeat a bimbo like him, just a knee or two, ha, ha" said Akane nervously attempting at a joke.

"I wish to talk with you, I have to discuss certain matters with you, in private" said Itachi.

Akane felt a sinking feeling in her stomach _"Oh man, now I'm in for it I guess" _she thought.

"Oh well you see I have to tend to my knee before it gets too bad, pity actually, I would love to have had a chat with you, but, you know, battles take their toll, see you" said Akane slipping away and hobbling down the hall where she reached the infirmary.

She reached out to open the door but it opened inwards and she found herself staring at her partner's tired face.

"I…" Akane found herself at a loss for words as Sasori gave her a silent reproachful look.

"I take it that was you battling Deidara just now?" said Sasori quietly.

"How did you know?" whispered Akane mentally kicking herself for asking such a stupid question.

"Just took a guess" said Sasori looking at her injured knee. He stepped aside to allow Akane into the infirmary.

"Umm, do you mind? I'm going to treat myself so I'd appreciate if you left me alone" said Akane regaining her composure.

"Be quiet woman, Deidara's bomb-wounds cannot be healed by something as simple as a medical kit, fortunately for you I know just what is needed to get rid of the wound" said Sasori taking out a bottle from a cabinet and pouring a few drops onto a small napkin which he took from another cabinet.

"I...I don't need you to treat my wounds, I can do it myself" protested Akane as Sasori kneeled before her and held her legs.

"Oh no doubt you can, but we've received orders for our next mission from the Leader and I can't have you injured because it will take some traveling on foot, so just shut up and sit still while I get rid of this" said Sasori.

Akane blushed a little as his kneeled before her and dabbed the ointment-dipped napkin on her wounds.

The wound stung a little as the napkin touched it, although it didn't bother Akane much she was surprised to see her usually rough and strict partner being so gentle.

"If it stings too much let me know" said Sasori quietly.

Akane merely nodded as time ticked by. Soon the bleeding had stopped and Sasori put a bandage around her knee.

"There, all done" said Sasori, "You should probably move it around a bit to get the blood circulating again, apart from a little stiffness I don't think you'll have any problems"

"Thanks, but I really didn't need that, it wasn't too much of a wound" said Akane gazing at the carefully bandaged knee.

"Thin of it as my way of apologizing for earlier" said Sasori turning away so he was facing the window.

"What?" asked Akane feeling astonished.

"_Could Mr. I-Me-Myself really be apologizing to me? That's something new"_ she thought.

"My way of apologizing for my outburst earlier, I realize I might have been a bit too harsh" said Sasori quietly.

Akane was still too surprised by the fact that Sasori had actually attempted to make amends that she didn't immediately respond.

"That's…that's okay, I guess, I admit I was being a bit bratty, and you were just trying to warn me after all" said Akane.

Sasori turned to her and his brown eyes held an unusually sincere and kind look.

"I forgive you" said Akane giving him a small smile.

"I forgive you too" said Sasori smiling as well.

"What for? I don't remember doing anything wrong" replied Akane.

"For ignoring my warning and fighting Deidara, I hope you'll understand that he's far from dead" said Sasori.

"I know he's not dead, but he won't be so cocky any more" said Akane.

"I wouldn't count on that, anyways our latest mission is that we're to infiltrate Konoha this time and capture a girl called Sakura Haruno" said Sasori getting a grim look in his eyes.

"Sakura Haruno? I seem to have heard that name before somewhere" said Akane screwing up her forehead.

"She's the girl who brought me down last time, fighting alongside my grandmother" said Sasori.

"Oh yes, now I remember, she had that awfully bright pink hair, I think I even heard that she was the Hokage's apprentice and is rumored to be an excellent fighter and an even better medical ninja" said Akane.

"Correct, Leader believes she will be of use to us, Itachi's eyes need healing and he wants Akatsuki to have an able healer so she'll be joining us as a full fledged member" said Sasori, "Also she'll be useful in the capture of the Kyuubi when the time comes"

"You mean like a hostage?" asked Akane as Sasori nodded.

" This mission is bound to be tough, sneaking into Konoha, capturing the Hokage's pupil under her very nose and escaping unnoticed, we shall have to be very careful" said Sasori.

"Yeah no doubt, I have a bone to pick with Konoha so I don't care what I have to do, capturing the Hokage's pupil seems like a good way to start" said Akane.

"Don't do anything reckless, I don't want to have to save you again" said Sasori with a smirk playing on his lips.

"As if" scoffed Akane and the two looked out of the window to the beautiful sunset ahead of them.

* * *

"Are you sure you can walk all the way Sousuke?" asked Akio worriedly as the younger boy hopped beside him.

"I'm telling you Lord Akio I'll be fine, I am a leader in your group after all" said Sousuke cheerfully.

"Yeah but your so petite it makes me feel you'll break into thousands of pieces if you fell over or something" said Akio.

"You're such a worry-wart sometimes Lord Akio" said Sousuke.

"I care a lot what happens to you Sousuke, apart from Rika you're the only person who means anything to me" said Akio.

Sousuke blushed at the intensity of his eyes and his deep tone, "Thank you Lord Akio, I'm truly grateful to know a person like you" he said smiling at Akio.

Akio grinned and gave the boy a one armed hug. Just then Hiroshi jumped down and bowed before Akio.

"Well? Any news?" asked Hiroshi.

"Two akatsuki members have been spotted Master, but I don't think it's the two you want, both of them are men this time, and they're headed for Lightning country" said Hiroshi with his head bent.

"Hmm, lightning country huh? Well that isn't really my concern, anyways Hiroshi I'm heading to Konoha to have a little chat with the Daimyo or possible the Hokage herself" said Akio.

"With the Hokage? She might try to kill you on spot, they say she's a monster of a woman, granddaughter of the 1st Hokage, Tsunade" said Sousuke looking horrified at the prospect of meeting the Hokage.

"Don't worry, you've got me to protect you, and I know she won't attack us, she's got too much at stake she has," said Akio with a satisfied grin on his face.

* * *

Wow that turned out longer than I expected. Well anyways please review people, this is the last day I update this story in 2010. Time simply flows by and I can't believe I'm already finished 17 chapters. It's all thanks to your support that I can get by. Please continue reading, reviewing and have a very, very Happy 2011.


	18. Tsunade Request: Sakura and Kakashi!

I'm back everybody. Welcome to the first chapter of 'The Reason for Existing' – written in 2011 of course! I'm very happy to say that the story seems to be flowing well and I always have my best readers reviewing so that's probably why I keep wanting to write another chapter as soon as I finish one. I would like to thank SweetScarlet97 and heartlessrayne for consistently reviewing and I would like to thanks those people who read the story as well. Now without further ado let's get on with the story.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.

* * *

"Rika, Akio must have sent you fifty letters by now, why do you keep refusing to read them" scolded Rika's mother while the beautiful girl sat sulkily near the pond of her enormous traditional japanese home.

"Don't poke your nose into other people's business mother, you don't know what a lousy jerk that Akio can be sometimes, while most of the times he's a darling whenever that wretched Sousuke shows up he simply goes gaga over him" said Rika mutinously.

"You're being tremendously over-dramatic my dear" said her mother sitting down beside her.

"Me? I'm being over-dramatic? You should have seen that man-whore when he came to the inn, absolutely pretending as if some monster had swallowed him up and spat him out again, and the way he was clinging to Akio, he even dared to cling onto me!" said Rika loudly.

"Oh my, what a crime!" said her mother sarcastically.

"And Akio's just as bad, what was the need to take him and hug him like that, why does he always have to speak so gently to that slut, it's like I fade away whenever Sousuke shows up" spat Rika tearing a leaf from a nearby plant and ripping it into tiny bits.

"Honey Akio has a soft spot for the boy just like he has for you, I know you know more about Akio than me but it's not a crime for him to have more than one precious person in his life" said Rika's mother kindly.

"It's wrong, I was the one who saved Akio, I saved him from death, I should be the only one he sees" said Rika loosing her temper and breaking down into tears of rage.

"You did save him dear and he loves you, I know he does, but if there's someone who is in dire need of comfort then I know Akio would be nice to them, that's just the kind of person he is" said mother softly.

"I know he's an amazing person but that damned wretch takes advantage of the fact that Akio has a soft spot for him, when I told Akio to get rid of him you should have heard how Akio yelled at me, I was the one who saved him not Sousuke" said Rika still crying.

"Dry those tears of yours at once darling, such a petty matter and you're crying? Feel ashamed, what would Akio think of you if he saw you like this now?" asked her mother patting the girl on the back and wiping the tears with a small handkerchief.

"I'm going to get even with Sousuke, as long as he's around Akio will never be able to give me his undivided attention, once Sousuke is out of the scene, I'll have Akio all to myself" said Rika darkly.

Her mother looked at her, worried, "I can't stop you dear, but take my advice and don't do anything reckless or foolish, don't make Akio's love for you turn into hate"

Rika did not reply but simply got up and left the room, sliding the door shut so hard that it wallpapers on it tore a little.

"_Goodness gracious, that girl will be the death of me someday, anyways if she's made up her mind to be foolish she can very well suffer the consequences"_ thought the woman as she picked up a small sweater she was knitting and started humming a song to herself.

* * *

"Yes, bring those injured men into section 12 immediately, give me a complete diagnosis of their wounds make sure there's no mistake, yes do it right now" ordered Sakura as she scurried about in the halls of the Konoha hospital.

"Sakura, Team 8 has returned from their mission, Kiba and Hinata have lots of wounds, would you take care of it?" asked Shizune carrying a huge stack of papers.

"Sure, I'll be right there" said Sakura wiping her brow and getting up.

"Thanks, I've just got to deliver these to Tsunade-Sama for her signature, I'm afraid it'll take a little time coaxing her to do it because I can just smell the alcohol she's been drowning in right from here" said Shizune carefully balancing the stack of papers in one hand and a glass with fizzing medicine in another.

Sakura gave a short laugh before rushing down the hall to find Kakashi leaning on the wall of an emergency room.

"Ah good, you're here" he said straightening up.

"Yeah, so where are they? Hinata and Kiba I mean and why're you here sensei?" said Sakura.

"In there, but don't worry, they're already being tended to" said Kakashi who was as usual reading his favorite book.

"Oh! But Shizune-san told me they needed someone to heal their wounds and that …"

"I know, but Shizune-San must have made a mistake, anyways now that you're here I would like to ask a favor from you" said Kakashi.

"A favor?" asked Sakura looking confused.

"Yes, a favor, I know you're very busy right now so would it be possible for you to meet me anytime in the evening?" asked Kakashi turning a page of his book.

"Sure, how about seven thirty?" asked Sakura still confused, it wasn't often Kakashi singled her out for anything, in fact in her genin days she used to have doubts whether he thought much of her as a ninja buit that had disappeared overtime.

"Yes, that'll be fine, I…I'll pick you up from your house" said Kakashi.

"Okay" said Sakura as Kakashi walked off.

"_Funny, I wonder why Shizune-San made that mistake, she's very focused and attentive when it comes to these matters, and I wonder what kind of favor Shino wants from me"_ she thought as she bumped into someone.

"Hey Forehead watch where you're treading will you?" asked the familiar voice of Ino Yamanaka.

"I could say the same to you Ino-Pig" replied Sakura brushing her sleeve.

"So anyways, what's the deal Sakura? You dating Kakashi-sensei or something?" asked Ino taking Sakura into a corner.

"W-w-what? Why would you even think that?" stammered Sakura going red.

"Well I was you know just happening to pass by when I sort of overheard your talk with him and he totally asked you out on a date didn't he?" asked Ino giving her knowing grin.

"No he didn't! He just wanted to ask a favor from me, there's nothing like that involved" said Sakura trying to whisper as loudly as she could.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, anyways are you interested in him? I mean you do like strong guys and he's the perfect strong, silent type, just the kind who would save his girlfriend from being harassed by rouges in a dark alley and then taking her home and kissing her forehead and saying things like "I'll always be there to protect you or 'I'll always be there for you" said Ino gleefully enjoying Sakura's embarrassed look.

"Goodness you're making a mountain out of a molehill, firstly like I'd need anyone to protect me if I was being harassed, secondly Kakashi-sensei the strong, silent type? That's a real joke and thirdly there's nothing like that between us get it? Absolutely nothing, we're just good friends comrades and he just wants a favor from me, now if you'll excuse me Miss Yamanaka I have injured patients to tend to" said Sakura walking away with her head held high.

Ino giggled a bit and walked away in the other direction to gossip about this new predicament.

* * *

"I think we'll stop here for the rest of the day" said Sasori pointing to a small village in front of him.

"Why? There's still plenty of light left. Feeling tired?" asked Akane teasingly.

"No, this village is pretty much the closest thing to a civilization, and it's the closest village to Konoha, if we keep continuing we'll end up in Konoha in the pitch dark" said Sasori.

"But wouldn't the darkness work to our advantage? I mean we would be less conspicuous in the dark" said Akane.

"True but we need to scout out the area in the light first, locate the girl, track her usual movements, it's not as easy a job as it sounds, the girl is quite well known throughout the village, even if we manage to get her under a genjutsu and follow us there'll be lots of questions involved, we have to mark her movements and strike while the iron is hot" said Sasori.

"Fine, fine, you're the boss" said Akane in defeat.

Sasori gave a smirk before moving forwards.

"What're you smirking about?" asked Akane moving quickly to keep pace with her partner.

"Oh nothing, I seem to have a dominating effect on people," said Sasori.

"Why do you say that?" asked Akane frowning.

"That's the fifth time today you called me boss, and for some reason Deidara always calls me his master, so I just think I do" said Sasori.

"Well, don't start getting a swelled head, I just called you that because you have a little bit, and just a little bit more experience than me in these matters" said Akane.

"Of course" said Sasori disbelievingly.

* * *

"Mom sensei's here, I'll be leaving now" said Sakura slipping on a pink jacket.

"Okay sweetie, have a good time, are you coming home for dinner?" asked Mrs. Haruno from her room.

"No I probably won't be back for dinner so don't wait up okay? And if Naruto or someone calls for me then tell him to leave a message here or at the hospital okay?"

'Will do, goodbye" shouted her mother.

Sakura stepped out into the cool night and took a long breathe of the evening wind.

"Hi, ready to go?" asked Sakura smiling at the masked man who gave her a nod and started walking.

"So, what was the favor you wanted to ask from me?" asked Sakura a little hesitantly because Kakashi seemed reluctant to talk.

"I'll tell you later, you don't mind if we stop by the Hokage's office once do you?" asked Kakashi.

"No, of course not" said Sakura puzzled at this request.

The two walked in silence as people passed by them unnoticed the two began walking a little closer to each other until their shoulders brushed.

'Oh, sorry" said Sakura blushing a little as Kakashi nodded and took a step away.

They reached the tower and knocked on Tsunade's office door.

"Yeah come in" called the Sannin from inside.

Sakura and Kakashi entered as Tsunade gave the latter an approving glance and smiled brightly at Sakura. Shizune who smiled as well poured out tea to Sakura and Kakashi.

"Hmm, sit down both of you, this is important" said Tsunade.

"Firstly Sakura, are you seeing anyone right now?" asked Tsunade.

Sakura who was about to take a sip of her tea chocked a little and almost dropped her cup.

"Shishou, what is this about?" she asked staring at her mentor.

"I'll tell you, just tell me first if you're seeing anyone right now or not" said Tsunade.

"No but why do you want to know?" asked Sakura taking another sip of her tea.

"First tell me what do you think of your teacher?" announced Tsunade sitting back in her chair.

"What do I think about my teacher? Well…"said Sakura lamenting Tsunade's lack of tact.

"Well?" asked Tsunade giving the masked man a glance. Kakashi seemed unperturbed as he coolly stared back at the blonde Hokage.

"He's a very loyal comrade, a person I can fully trust on the battlefield" said Sakura sincerely as Kakashi's mask creased a little showing he was smiling a little.

"Yes, yes, that's great but I want to know what you think of him as a person, good, bad, deceitful, honest?" questioned Tsunade.

"I feel he's extremely lazy and a little pervertish when it comes to his reading habits" said Sakura severely as Shizune gave a little giggle.

'But he's a very good person and… Shishou why are you asking me all this?" inquired Sakura feeling very embarrassed by now.

"I'm asking you all this Sakura because I want you to go out with Kakashi for some time" said Tsunade plainly.

Sakura who was sipping her tea again dropped it this time and the tea splattered on her foot.

"Shishou what are you saying, why do you want me to date Kakashi-sensei?" said Sakura taking a sideward glance at the masked jounin who seemed to be just as embarrassed as her but not being very obvious about it.

"I want Kakashi to remain by your side for some weeks now, as protection and I want a good excuse for you two to be able to do so" said Tsunade.

"Protection? Protection against what?" asked Sakura suddenly becoming serious.

"Sasuke Uchiha and Akatsuki" stated Tsunade.

Sakura's heart missed a beat, "Sasuke and Akatsuki? W-what do you mean Tsunade-Sama?" asked Sakura faintly.

"Jiraiya has gathered information from his sources and it seems the Akatsuki is targeting you for some reason, most probably because they need an excellent healing ninja in their organization" said Tsunade resting her chin on her folded hands.

"They're targeting me?" questioned Sakura looking confused.

"Yes they're targeting you, and also news has it that the team Sasuke has put together has been sighted around this area, near the borders of the grass village and that's fairly close from here" said Tsunade.

Sakura's heart began beating very fast as she gripped the cup which she had rescued from the floor, very tightly.

"I don't know if he's targeting you as well but I'm not willing to take any chances" said Tsunade.

"Sakura you don't have to date Kakashi-san, but Tsunade-Sama cares a lot for you and believe me I had to convince her for a long time that she herself couldn't shadow you all day long" said Shizune.

"Because Naruto himself is a target for the Akatsuki I would rather he not be involved in this, and the next best person I would completely trust to give up even his life for you would be Kakashi" said Tsunade.

Sakura still overcome by what was being said to her did not reply.

"There's no compulsion but I would really prefer it if Kakashi could stay nearby for sometime at least till the threat has gone down, the decision if completely yours" said Tsunade.

"Is…is it really necessary to tell everyone that we're dating?" asked Sakura blushing looking towards her sensei who flippantly stared back.

"No but you must understand that when I mean him being near you I mean at all times, even in the hospital, even at your house, wherever you go, except the bathroom perhaps" said Tsunade smirking a little.

"Don't worry Sakura, we'll explain everything to your parents and you won't have any trouble in the hospital" said Shizune reassuringly.

Sakura pondered over it for sometime before she sighed and looked up, "Okay, I'll do it"

"Excellent, well then from this moment you two are a couple, now get out of my office" said Tsunade energetically.

Sakura and Kakashi got up and walked towards the door.

Sakura walked out and Kakashi followed.

"Kakashi, do whatever you must to protect her okay? Jiraiya's sources are usually very reliable and I'm afraid this may seem more than a rumor, do whatever you must, just don't get her pregnant or something like that" said Tsunade as Shizune exclaimed loudly.

Kakashi gave Tsunade a mischievous look, "I'll be sure not to" he said before bowing and walking out, shutting the door behind him.

"Now that I come to think of it Kakashi-san and Sakura do make a nice couple don't they? It would be nice if they got married" said Shizune.

"I don't really care, but I just hope this time Jiraiya's sources are wrong, it might be too much for even Kakashi if both Akatsuki and Uchiha attempt to capture Sakura" said Tsunade looking concerned.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-San is very strong, not to mention Sakura, she's even completed her contract with Katsuyu and that's a tremendous feat considering her age" said Shizune.

"Yes, I suppose it is," said Tsunade gazing out into the starry sky.

* * *

I know what you're thinking and you're right I am going to pair up Kakshi and Sakura. Why? Because I really love Kakashi and since I can't date him I'd like my second favorite female character to replace me. Why second favorite? Tsunade is my favorite but since she's not, ahem, correct age-wise I would prefer its Sakura (Sakura is 18 here by the way and Kakashi is 27, I know he's older than that actually but it's my story!). Don't forget to press the review button just below this message and see you all next time. You'll see more of Sasori and Akane in the next chapter. Toodles!


	19. Capture of Sakura Haruno

Heya, heya, heya. I'm back bringing to you the nineteenth chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you all like the story. I won't babble for too long now and get on with the story.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs

* * *

"So umm, is there anywhere in particular that you'd like to go?" asked Kakashi as an uncomfortable Sakura walked beside him fidgeting a little.

"No, not really" said Sakura.

"Want to visit Ichiraku or somewhere?" asked Kakashi.

"No, not really"

Kakashi sighed and closed his book, "Look Sakura, I know it may be a bit too much to ask at the moment but I would just like you to know that I hope this doesn't change anything between us, if you feel uncomfortable or something just let me know because it doesn't change the fact that I'm still your lazy sensei" said Kakashi.

Sakura smiled a little as a weight lifted off her heart, "Yes, I was being silly, it's just a pretence till the threat is clear, I'm acting like I'm in love or something, it's just Kakashi-sensei after all" she thought.

Aloud she said, "Thanks, I'm glad to hear that"

The gladness must have been visible in her voice because Kakashi seemed to relax a bit as well after that.

"Sakura-chan!" came the voice of the Kyuubi container as Naruto came running up the pavement as usual.

"Naruto? You're back already? I heard you were on a mission with Sai and Yamato-taichou" said Sakura in surprise.

"It got over quickly, but first of all what's this rumor I'm hearing? You're dating Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto loudly as people passing by stopped and began whispering and staring.

"_Boy, Shishou and Shizune-san have been quick about it, it's hardly been an hour since we left the Hokage tower"_ thought Sakura.

'Yes, but where did you hear?" asked Sakura.

"I heard it from Hinata who said that Ino heard it from a co-worker in the hospital who was told by Shizune who was apparently told by Granny" babbled Naruto.

Sakura sighed, "Tsunade-Sama is as thorough as ever, letting Ino know was the best possible way of spreading it around in a short time, I'm sure her its her flower shop's newest headline" she thought as Kakshi stepped up.

"Naruto stop creating such a scene, lets all go to Ichiraku's and talk in private?" asked Kakashi as Naruto assumed the pose of a deep thinker.

"Okay, but only if you pay my bill" he said cheerfully.

Kakashi sighed, "There goes my month's salary"

On the way there they met Shikamaru and Chouji. Chouji seemed to be troubled over something and kept crying over Shikamaru's shoulder.

"Hey you two. What's wrong with Chouji?" asked Naruto.

"The girl he liked rejected him because in her opinion he was too plump to be her boyfriend" said Shikamaru in his usual bored tone.

"She…she…sniff… she called me f-fat and told me not g-go a-away" bawled Chouji as tears cascaded down his cheeks.

"There, there" said Sakura sympathetically.

"I asked Ino if she thought I was fat and she didn't give me a proper answer, I asked Tenten and Hinata too and Tenten gave a silly excuse and Hinata just stammered the time away, tell me Sakura, do you think I'm fat?" asked Chouji.

Sakura stared desperately at Shikamaru who merely began counting clouds. She looked over to Naruto who seemed awfully busy with his shoelace. _(A/n does he even have a shoelace?)_

Kakashi stepped forwards, "Chouji, I'll be honest with you, you could do with some slimming down, and with my advice you'll be thinner than Icha Icha's pages" said Kakashi patting the boy on his shoulder.

Chouji gave a loud sniff, 'Okay, tell me what I have to do. Laps? Push ups? Sit Ups? Oh please don't say training with Guy-sensei, that'll kill me"

"No, no, all you have to do is move your head from left to right and from right to left" said Kakashi.

"Really? That's all I have to do? You mean it?" asked Chouji overjoyed.

"Yup, that's all" said Kakashi as Shikamaru, Sakura and Naruto gave him a curious glance.

As the three walked on Chouji hailed the masked jounin again.

"You didn't tell me how many times to do it Kakashi-sensei" he yelled.

"Every time anybody offers you anything edible my dear Chouji" said Kakashi not turning back as Chouji fell over anime style.

* * *

Sasori and Akane walked up to end of the deep forest they had to penetrate if they wanted to reach Konohagakure.

They walked till they arrived at the large gate.

"Wait don't move forward" warned Akane as Sasori had taken out a scroll to summon his puppet.

"What's the matter? Are they onto us?" asked Sasori.

"No, but look, there, it's a barrier, a huge large-scale barrier which if I'm not wrong stretches all around Konoha, even the sky and underground, I guess it triggers some sort warning if anyone enters it" said Akane.

"Now that you come to think of it, I do remember Kisame mentioning that when he and Itachi had to infiltrate Konoha for the Kyuubi" said Sasori frowning.

"Now the problem is if we want to maintain a low profile the barrier will see to it that we don't, it can still trigger off we use our own barriers, our own jutsu or even a substitution jutsu or genjutsu and seeing the whole enormity of the barrier it won't be possible for us to disable it without completely giving away our presence." said Akane.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from Konoha, well Barrier-expert, any solutions?" asked Sasori.

"The only way to disable the barrier without letting anyone know of our presence is knowing it's password, I guess that's how Itachi-san infiltrated Konoha as he was once in the Anbu" said Akane deep in thought.

"I haven't heard of this password since I'm from Sunagakure, and I'm assuming you haven't either?" asked Sasori.

Akane shook her head, no, my father knew it but I was too small for him to trust me with it right then,"

Sasori looked at the vast establishment before him; his eyes fell on the Hokage's monument and on Tsunade's stone face.

"Well if we can't go to the girl, then the girl must come to us" he said finally.

"Come to us? What do you have in mind?" asked Akane curiously.

"Tell me one missing-ninja that Konoha would kill to lay their hands on, one connected to the girl" said Sasori.

Akane thought for a minute as light dawned over her.

"Now listen well, we'll get only one shot at this" said Sasori bending down and whispering into Akane's ears.

* * *

"Tsunade-Sama, I have the latest reports from the gate squad, they say they saw Sasuke Uchiha near the woods. He attacked them and disappeared.

"What? I didn't expect that brat to attack so swiftly, was he alone?" asked Tsunade.

"According to the men he was but they could feel another presence as well but whoever it was wasn't there right there with him" said Shizune panting.

"Must me one of those cronies of his, inform Kakashi of this at once, Sakura must be kept safe at all times, make sure Naruto doesn't hear of it" said Tsunade.

"I think it's a bit too late for that Tsunade-Sama" said Shizune pointing behind Tsunade who quickly turned and rushed to the window where she saw Naruto running down the road which led to the gates with Sai and Yamato close behind him.

Tsunade cursed under her breath as an Anbu captain appeared in her room.

"Tsunade-Sama, Naruto insists on going to apprehend Sasuke, he keeps saying 'I'm the only one who can get him back', what are your orders, do we intercept him by force" asked the captain.

"No, don't do that, send Kakashi…"Tsunade paused when she remembered that Kakashi was supposed to be protecting Sakura.

"Tsunade-Sama, look, it's Sakura" yelled Shizune as Tsunade rushed again to the window where she saw Sakura running towards the forest. Kakashi was nowhere in sight.

'Damn, where the hell is Kakashi, Shizune, you go and intercept her, and you see if you can find Kakashi anywhere" said Tsunade looking at the Anbu captain who bowed and disappeared.

"_What is that damn rat planning with Sakura? If he harms her or Naruto I'll personally kill him"_ thought Tsunade banging her table hard.

Naruto ran till he had reached the gates. The chunins posted there got up to intercept him knowing that Naruto wouldn't be allowed to pass through with permission but Naruto performed a shadow clone jutsu and slipped by while his clones kept the guards busy.

After running for another 10 minutes he arrived at a clearing in the forest where a familiar figure stood hidden by the shadows cast by the tall trees.

Near his feet lay the lifeless bodies of two jounins from Konoha.

"Sasuke!" yelled Naruto as the Uchiha turned and gave the blonde a smirk.

"Well, well, if it isn't you, I'm sorry Naruto but I'm not here to play with you today, I'm here for Sakura" said Sasuke.

"Sasuke, stop this, stop doing this and return to the village, it'll make everybody so happy, please, can't you see how much everybody wants you back?" asked Naruto.

"Don't waste my time with…" Sasuke couldn't continue as Sakura appeared in front of Naruto and punched the ground before her so that it cracked up.

"Sasuke Uchiha, for the betraying Konoha and allying yourself with s-Rank criminal Orochimaru you are arrested" said Sakura dangerously.

Sasuke seemed extremely taken aback one moment but quickly regained his composure.

"Sakura, you're entrance wasn't what I had anticipated" he said with a malicious look in his deep black eyes.

Sakura felt her heart beating faster as she stared into his intense onyx eyes.

"_His eyes, why do I still feel that I'm in love with him when I'm supposed to be over it, why?"_ she thought when suddenly Kakashi appeared before her and obstructed Sasuke who had moved in to attack with a kunai.

Sakura stared in shock as Kakashi glared with his sharingan activated at Sasuke who smirked and jumped back.

"You're becoming more disobedient by the day Sakura, giving me a sleeping draught and taking off knowing that Sasuke might be looking for you, what would have happened if Sasuke found you, did you even consider that?" asked Kakashi calmly.

"Eh? What're you talking about Kakashi-sensei? Sasuke's standing right there" pointed out Naruto.

"No, he's not," said Kakashi turning to face Sasuke, "It's no use, stop pretending and reveal yourself" he said.

Sasuke gave a grimace and said, "Very impressive, but after all I wouldn't expect anything less from the Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake, son of Sakumo Hatake right?"

"Maybe, so will you reveal your identity or do I have to force you to" said Kakashi twirling his kunai.

Sasuke smirked as his skin began to become green, soon his skin fell away water and formed into a fluid which shot into the bushes and disappeared.

"No! It's not possible, it can't be you" aid Sakura in shock as before her stood Akasuna no Sasori.

Naruto gawked at the akatsuki member standing before him but Kakashi didn't seem visibly shocked. But if someone had looked carefully they would have realized that his back had stiffened and he had stopped twirling his kunai.

"Sakura Haruno, it is a pleasure to meet you once again, what a coincidence that I should meet my killer the son of my parent's killer together in one day" Sasori said calmly.

"It can't be, I killed you, I killed you along with Chiyo Baa-Sama" said Sakura too shocked to even take a step back.

"Or so you thought" said Sasori.

"Why have you come here Akasuna no Sasori, that too in the disguise of Sasuke? And what have you done with Yamato and Sai?" asked Kakashi in a low tone.

"Hmm? Who are these people you speak of? I don't think I've ever heard of them" said Sasori in a fake oblivious tone.

"Why you" yelled Naruto charging in with a rasengan.

"Naruto, no" yelled Kakashi as Sasori dodged the rasengan and threw some needles which embedded themselves into Naruto's skin but in a trice he burst into smoke.

"A clone huh?" said Sasori as Kakashi appeared behind him with a Raikiri.

Sasori dodged again and took out a scroll which he used to summon a puppet wearing a lack cloak and it's face covered by a hood.

Naruto dove in for another attack as Kakashi's hand appeared below the earth and grabbed Sasori's legs preventing him from moving.

Sasori used his puppet as a shield to block Naruto's attack and as Naruto was thrown backwards the puppet shot a few poisoned needles at an amazing speed which pierced Naruto's thighs and chest.

Sakura seeing her chance took advantage of the opening swung in for a chakra enhanced punch at Sasori when chains wrapped themselves around her and pulled her back.

Just then the earth around Sasori cracked open and he leaped away and landed on a tree a little distance away.

Akane landed beside him with Sakura wrapped up in metal chains which seemed to be emerging from Akane's back.

"It's you, the woman who made me cut of my hand" said Kakashi in shock as Naruto struggled to get up beside him.

"I see you still remember, good to know that: said Akane smiling.

"Leave…Sakura…chan…alone" shouted Naruto as he slipped into Sennin mode and created a Rasenshuriken with two of his clones.

"_Amazing, he's able to create an attack of such power despite being hit by my poison, I guess that's why Kakuzu and Hidan had to retreat when they faced him"_ thought Sasori in awe.

"I think we should be leaving now don't you?" asked Akane as Sasori nodded.

But Kakashi appeared behind them with two Raikiri's in his hands. Clapping his hands together a powerful bolt of electricity shot out of the combined Raikiri at the same time Naruto threw his Rasenshuriken at the two Akatsuki members.

"Barrier Art: Third Shield on An" cried Akane doing many complex hand signs at a very fast rate and slamming her hand into the ground.

A round circle of chakra surrounded her, Sasori and Sakura who was between them and rose to become a black cylinder which was rotating. The rasenshuriken reflected back as it hit the rotating shield. Kakashi's combined Raikiri neutralized and disappeared as it hit the shield.

Naruto's Rasenshuriken hurtled at him and Naruto jumped to avoid it but Kakashi used a water jutsu to push Naruto away much further. The area the rasenshuriken passed blew away and it continued till it struck the Konoha Barrier with a great screech a d the sound of breaking glass the barrier shattered into pieces.

Just at that moment Guy, Neji and Shikaku Nara accompanied by a whole platoon on Anbu arrived there.

"Dear, dear, it looks like the party is getting more popular by the minute" said Akane.

'Stop fooling around, we're leaving" said Sasori.

"Oh no you don't" said Kakashi charging again towards them but Sasori took out a small sphere and threw at the ground and lots of smoke erupted out of it.

"_What's this? My body, it can't move, damn him"_ thought Kakashi as he became paralyzed.

The Anbu captain used a wind jutsu to blow away the smoke before anybody else inhaled it. He then ordered ten of his men to follow the akatsuki. Gai and Neji had managed to recover Naruto and Shikaku jumped down from the trees to help Kakashi.

"Sir, we found Yamato-San and Sai, they're in bad shape, all cut up and burned at places" came the voice of an Anbu.

"I'm fine, really, though that Akatsuki woman is a real sadistic person" said Yamato managing to get up and crawl a little.

"What did she do to you?" asked Shikaku as he helped Kakashi up.

"She tied us up using some sort of special chain first and hung us from a tree by our waist and then she played darts with us, literally" said Yamato.

"What do you mean by that?" questioned Neji frowning.

"She shot fireballs out of her mouth and tried to see if she could hit any vital points, needless to say it hurt a bit, but I think she enjoyed it more with Sai because after a few shots at me she focused her efforts on Sai, then suddenly there was a huge rise of chakra and she left to help the other one I guess" said Yamato almost falling over as two Anbu held him up.

"Anyways, I've sent men after them, we should get Yamato-San, Kakashi-San, Sai and Naruto to the hospital, I'm afraid the Hokage will be absolutely furious" said the Anbu captain as a gloom descended over the company.

* * *

Well that's that, End of this chapter. I'm going to start on the next one right now so I guess you can expect to see it up latest by Tuesday. My school's starting from tomorrow so my update rate is going to be a little slow. Please bear with me and do review. Toodles.


	20. Scorpion's Rage & Godaime's Frustration

Hey, hey, hey. I thought about it for long and I'm wondering about it so I thought I would take your opinions. Initially I decided to pair Sakura up with Kakashi but I'm wondering if I should pair her up with Itachi instead. So guys if you review do let me know whether you prefer SakuKaka or ItaSaku okay? Thanks for reviewing heartlessrayne! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember the story proceeds according to your opinions. Let me know through reviews or private messages.

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

**

* * *

**"I absolutely refuse to carry her" said Akane indignantly, with her hands over her hips and a blazing look of victory and anger in her eyes.

"Stop being such a bothersome brat and carry the smaller brat, I've got to think over a strategy" said Sasori unmindfully.

"Excuse me? Who's the man here? You are! I wonder how you can call your self a man when you're forcing a girl to carry baggage that you can easily bear" said Akane.

"Stop sprouting nonsense and get moving we'll have company in a minute" said Sasori and as if on cue they were surrounded by ten Anbu members.

"Look, all your babbling has got us into this predicament" grumbled Sasori as he summoned a scroll.

"Don't bother, I'll get rid of them" said Akane as she released chains from her back and each of them shot towards a different Anbu.

"Look out, those things could be dangerous" cried the leader.

All of them easily dodged the chains and three members surrounded Akane while the others rushed towards Sasori who was standing a little way off.

"Earth Release: Sticky Earth Drop Jutsu" cried the first Anbu and a hole opened in the sky and sticky mud fell from it, all over Akane and the immediate area surrounding her.

The second member jumped on the first's back and leaped forwards, "Lightning Release: Sixteen Pillar Bind Jutsu" he cried as a chamber made of 16 conducting pillars rose out of the earth and trapped Akane.

The third member sneaked up behind the chamber and cried, "Fire Release: Fired Pottery Jutsu"

Immediately flames roared from inside the chamber and the three Anbu members exchanged high-fives.

"Oh yeah, that was an excellent combo," said the first one.

"She didn't even have the time to think, as soon as the mud fell on her she was bound by the pillars and then the mud around her was cooked into a solid state and thus immobilizing her" said the second one.

"Yeah, it was a great combo, but don't you two think that was a bit easy" said the third just before a chain appeared from the ground and wrapped itself around him.

"Oh no, does this mean she's still alive?" cried the second as a chain grabbed its legs.

"Damn it, what a monster, how the hell can she be alive after all that" cried the third as he struggled to get the chains off his face.

A bolt of lightning conducted itself out through the chains that were wrapped around the three electrocuting them to death.

Slowly a crack appeared in the chamber and it burst open to reveal a fair sized round earthen pot. The earth fell away and the round shape it had was because of the bubble like shield Akane was using.

Akane walked over to Sasori at whose feet lay several dead Anbu.

"Nice one" she said grinning, her chains wrapped around the still unconscious Sakura and lifted her off the ground.

"The Leader wants her alive you know" said Sasori getting up and starting to walk.

"So? I'm not killing her am I? Just carrying her via some metal chains, nothing wrong in that is there?" she asked in fake innocence.

"What came over you? Suddenly deciding to carry her after all?" asked Sasori reading a map.

"I made a bet with myself when those Anbu showed, I bet if I could defeat more of them then you'd carry her or else if you defeated more then I'd carry her, since you did manage to beat me this once I guess I have to stick to my words" said Akane.

"Hmm, oh yes, before I forget, this is the third time I'm seeing those chains of yours, they don't have anything fluidish about them, nor are they normal ninja weapons, may I ask what exactly they are?" asked Sasori.

"Didn't I tell you before? Besides being a master of Barrier Art I am a master of molding chakra into many shapes and types," said Akane.

"Hmm, I've heard that before, Deidara…"

"That Bimbo uses those mouths of his to mould his _clay_ not his chakra, he only inserts his chakra into it after the clay has been molded, his one is completely different from mine, I mould the chakra itself" said Akane proudly.

"I see, so those chains are an embodiment of your molded chakra?" asked Sasori.

"Everything I use is an embodiment of molded chakra, my Barrier art, thought it requires a separate skill, my ordinary jutsu, everything" said Akane.

"So basically without your chakra molding techniques you're useless" stated Sasori.

"Yup, exactly the same way the Bimbo is useless without his clay and the same way you're useless without you're dead trees" said Akane.

"I have my poison" retorted Sasori.

"Poof! As if you'd have been more than a chunin with those poisons" scoffed Akane.

"Excuse me but even the most talented of kages find trouble making antidotes for my poisons" said Sasori angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard from Konan-San that this girl in my chains managed to find an antidote to your infamous poison pretty fast, I don't think she's even a jounin yet, well any explanation?" asked Akane.

'You know as well as I do that she's the pupil of Tsunade who is probably the most renowned medical ninja in the whole ninja world!" said Sasori.

"But I thought you said even the most talented of kages couldn't…"

"Keep your broken trap shut, you're giving me a headache" cried Sasori.

"That's right, change the subject the going gets tough" murmured Akane in a low tone.

"What was that? You have something to say then say it aloud" said Sasori fuming.

"Umm, I said what's you favorite subject? English? Mathematics? Or maybe Economics? Oh wait, wait, I know, its Home Economics right?" asked Akane hurriedly.

"Wrong. I did not study those useless subjects at the academy, those are for the civilian children" said Sasori.

"Great I didn't study those too!" said Akane smiling.

"Then why the hell did you ask me if I did?" yelled Sasori.

"Oh I was just confirming that I'm not the only dunce here" said Akane cheerfully.

"Are you calling me a du…?"

Just then there was a moan from Sakura's lips. Sasori and Akane became alert at once. The girl was supposed to be as strong as a jounin despite her appearance.

Slowly Sakura's eyes fluttered open and the vividly green orbs stared at the backs of the two Akatsuki who had kidnapped her.

"_Oh right, I got kidnapped by that woman who made Kakashi-sensei cut off his own hand and…"_

Sakura's gaze fell on Sasori.

"_If he's alive, then it means we did it all for nothing, Chiyo Baa-Sama wasted her chakra fighting him and died while transferring it for reason, it…it was all meaningless"_ she thought, trying to ignore the painful feeling in her stomach and the broken arm she was lying on.

"It was meaningless" said Sakura in a very low tone but it didn't escape the ear of the person carrying her…indirectly.

"Feeling depressed are we?" asked Akane.

Sakura looked up at the cloaked woman and life rushed into her.

"Let me go this instant, you won't get away with this, let me go" yelled Sakura desperately struggling against the chains that had been wrapped around her.

"Okay" said Akane as the chains freed Sakura from the height she was at and the pinkette fell with a thud onto the hard earth.

"What do you think you're doing brat" cried Sasori as Sakura took out a smoke bomb from her pouch and threw at the two akatsuki and then dashed away in the other direction. She saw in the horizon an ordinary looking village so she ran towards it with every bit of strength her body would permit her.

Sakura ran into the village but to her shock the akatsuki woman stood at the other end of the village with a genial smile upon her face.

With a swooshing sound Sasori landed next to her and swept her off her feet (in the literal sense not the romantic one).

"Let me go, let me go" cried Sakura as she took out a knife and stabbed Sasori in the back of his neck.

When Sasori merely smirked Sakura dropped the knife in surprise.

"_But how? The back of the neck is the most vital point, if I even send a chakra enhanced touch there he should drop dead let alone a poison dipped knife made by Shizune-San herself"_ thought Sakura with her eyes wide.

"Astonished? Come now Sakura Haruno, don't be foolish, do you think I don't know the body part which will most likely be targeted by my foes? My blood is immune to whatever poison you may cook up for me and the veins in my vital areas are protected by a potion I have managed to master after so long, so I'm afraid you're all out of options" said Sasori quietly.

Sakura began thrashing about wildly and Sasori glared at Akane who came walking up.

"Drat this little pest has some strength, why on earth did you let her go!" yelled Sasori unsuccessfully trying to restrain Sakura.

"I just wanted to see what she would do, you know, just a spur of the moment thing" said Akane.

"I would appreciate if you did not do things like that again" said Sasori turning and beginning to walk through what was once the crowded marketplace. At the sight of the two cloaked figures everyone had abandoned whatever they had been doing and fled the scene.

"Help! Somebody help me" cried out Sakura.

When nobody came to her aid she began to feel very scared, _"I can feel chakra, there are some ninja present here, but why won't they help me?"_

"Wondering why no brave knight in a shining armor is coming to his princess's rescue?" asked Akane with a malicious smile.

"If someone did run up to save the girl I would call him a foolish bat not a knight in a shining armor" growled Sasori.

"I suppose you would, anyways, if you're wondering why nobody's rescuing you it's because they're all wise enough to know what would happen to them if they did" said Akane.

Just then a group of three ninjas from the Hidden Grass village appeared before the akatsuki duo.

"Put down that girl akatsuki-scum, you're under arrest" said the middle one.

Akane sighed, "They sure aren't innovative with their insults are they? Scum seems to be a standing word between insects like them"

"Quiet you slut, you don't reserve the right to speak and waste precious air before the great Hell Brothers from Kusagakure" said the youngest one as the three men stood proudly with their chests puffed out.

"How about the Ghastly Brothers instead?" asked Akane.

"Quiet you bitch; you're just the kind of trash who should have died before they were born, you're mothers should have been fucked and killed in the gutter before they could have chucked you outta their filthy stomachs, you're the kind of dirt who should just DIE!" yelled the last man as he swung in for a very fast attack.

Akane surprisingly didn't move to defend herself but just stared dumbly at the blade which approached her as the memory of a smiling woman filled her mind.

Then there was a loud clang of metal which shook her back to reality.

Sasori had jumped before her and countered the man's assault and sent the man flying back.

"You should know how to talk when you're adversaries are mountains stronger than you" said Sasori as the other two men ganged up on him.

"Striking them with double edged blade Sasori kicked their dead corpses away as he stepped towards the man who had yelled the curses at Akane.

"Have a nice trip to hell" he said as he spat a needle out of his mouth which struck the man in the forehead.

The man began thrashing about and screaming in agony, hitting his hand on the ground hard as bloodied tears seeped from his eyes.

Sasori, who had flung Sakura on the ground knowing she would be too weak and too discouraged to try to escape again, picked her up and turned his back to Akane.

"What did you do to him?" asked Akane curiously watching the tortured man on the ground.

"A full head on dose of my most lethal torture poison, he'll be feeling as if his body is freezing and burning at the same time, being hit by knives and clubs at the same time, being torn apart by birds and animals at the same time, he'll keep feeling all that till he kills himself out of agony" said Sasori.

"That's a bit extreme don't you think?" asked Akane nervously.

"I cannot stand men who use anybody's parents as insults, why bring up someone who isn't involved in the matter at hand, I hate these kind of men who think they've bought the world because they have a stupid nickname" said Sasori.

"He killed that man because he said all those things to me" thought Akane giggling a little, "He can be sweet sometimes, even if it means using a super torture poison"

"Arigatou, Sasori-San" said Akane brightly as the raid haired man smiled a little and nodded.

* * *

_CRASH! BANG! SMASH!_

Tsunade's office echoed with the noise of wood and glass splintering as Naruto jumped into the office through the glass.

"Naruto! How dare you make such a mess in my office, I've got enough on my mind without your crazy antics as well" cried Tsunade furiously.

Shizune was feebly stirring under the remains of the table while Tonton crawled out bruised and scratched.

"Granny, you've gotta let me go find Sakura, there's no telling what those monsters will do to her" cried Naruto ignoring the Hokage's enraged glares.

"That's like telling a sheep to go into the cave of the wolves" said Tsunade turning with a swish of her coat and pacing up and down the office.

"So I can go?" asked Naruto stupidly not noticing the implication of the statement.

"No, you can't go, N-O, no, now do you want me plaster it on my forehead and yours as well?" cried the Hokage as Shizune rushed over to her.

"Please Tsunade-Sama, calm down," she said, then she turned to Naruto, 'Naruto-kun, Tsunade-Sama isn't in the best mood right now so please don't bother her with…"

"I'm not bothering her, it's something she cares for too, you want to get Sakura back too don't you Granny?" asked Naruto.

"Of course I do you numbskull, but the elders have specifically forbidden me to not let you leave the village, and for once I think I have to agree with them" said Tsunade frustrated, sitting down on one of the unscathed chairs.

"I don't give a damn what those dumb old galotes say, please Granny, please let me go" said Naruto.

"I think I already gave you my answer" said Tsunade going red with anger.

Suddenly Naruto became calm and walked over to the window, "Fine then" he said before jumping out.

Tsunade sighed and buried her head in her hands, "Shizune go after him, make sure he doesn't leave the village and DON'T mess up!" she said still bending like that.

"Hai, Tsunade-Sama" said Shizune running out of the door.

"_What with Sakura kidnapped by the akatsuki, Kakashi depressed and wanting to get her back, Naruto in this sort of mood, half the Anbu demanding to know what happened when I myself don't know a damned thing and to top it off the Elders are chastising me and Jiraiya's gone off somewhere as well, just great"_ thought Tsunade.

* * *

Well that's it for this chappie. Let me know how you like it? And DO remember to vote for your favorite paring SakureXItachi or SakuraXKakashi, please do review. See you next time.


	21. Friendship

Hiya everybody. It's great to see you all again. Welcome to the twenty-first chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I won't babble long so please read and enjoy and review of course!

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

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Sakura had been allowed to walk on her feet with both her hands chained behind her back and an extra chain hovering menacingly above her ready to strike if she attempted to escape.

"Could you get these chains off me? I won't try to escape" said Sakura wearily for the chains seemed to be draining her chakra.

"Oh it would delight me to no end if you tried to escape but my partner is too careful with these sort of things so I'm afraid I'll have to refuse your request" said Akane.

Sasori who was walking much ahead of the two females did not hear her completely but turned his head slightly and gave Akane a stern look.

Akane Sent him a cheeky wave to which he sighed and turned back to the map he was carefully studying.

"Akasuna no Sasori" muttered Sakura under her breath.

"It was pretty impressive that you managed to bring him down earlier, I mean even if are the Godaime's student" said Akane.

"I could never have done it without Chiyo Baa-Sama, she spent so much of her chakra, and it was such a waste" said Sakura tears gathering in her eyes and falling on the parched sand on which they were traveling.

Akane watched the girl cry quietly for sometime.

"I don't know what exactly happened to his granny but from what I've heard so far she sacrificed herself for someone else, and anybody who sacrifices themselves does not earn my sympathy, I call sacrifice foolish" said Akane.

Sakura looked up angrily, "Foolish my foot, I wouldn't expect a murderer like you to understand anything about sacrifice, you wouldn't understand the love, the care, the strength and the will power it needs to kill yourself for the sake of someone"

"Don't preach me about sacrifice; god didn't put us into this world just so that we could kill ourselves" cried Akane.

"Nor did he put us into this world to kill others" said Sakura angrily.

"We in the Akatsuki don't sacrifice ourselves, we either die fighting or we die for the sake for our mission, if we kill it is to achieve our goals" said Akane.

"You have no right to take the life of others" yelled Sakura.

"And neither do you!" yelled back Akane as Sakura drew back a little, feeling surprised.

"You claim that the Akatsuki are monsters and murderers because we kill people, or maybe it's because we dress in black cloaks with bloodied clouds and hold secret meetings in secret bases, well then Sakura Haruno if that is your basis for calling us monsters then I would say the Hidden Villages are pretty big monsters themselves" cried Akane.

"What are you trying to say that you haven't killed anybody in your whole life? Maybe you haven't because you're still so young but that doesn't apply to everybody, you may be under the illusion that you're Konoha is a sweet place where old ladies and young women and safely walk at night without fear of being killed or raped, you're wrong, and that applies to all the villages" she said glaring at Sakura now turning towards the pinkette.

"You call yourself Shinobi and like to pretend you're getting rid of evil in the world but in reality you don't realize how much evil you are spreading yourself, innocent people are caught between the crossfire of two or more villages, young and weak ninja, ordinary civilians, they all die because Konoha is at war with some other villages" said Akane in one breath, her face appearing flushed from all her yelling.

"The truth is that in this world nobody can call themselves sinless, nobody can consider themselves pure and holy, and if someone does, then they're a big FAKE!" said Akane ending it with a loud kick in the sand which sent a shower of sand flying.

Akane stored forward and bumped into Sasori's back.

"There's no need to be so hasty" he said calmly.

"Whatever, why the heck have you stopped?" asked Akane still fuming.

"We have reached our newest base in Sunagakure" said Sasori with a slight triumph visible in his voice.

Akane remembered Sunagakure was where Sasori came from.

"Let go of the girl, Konan will be coming up to bring her to the Leader just about now" said Sasori.

Obediently the chains around Sakura's hands dropped away but the chain above her still hovered menacingly.

Sakura knew it would be useless to try and run and it would only result in her getting harsher treatment when they caught her again.

"_I'll have to try and contact Tsunade-Sama when I'm inside, at least I know we're in Sunagakure"_ thought Sakura.

"Take a good look at the sun girl, this might be the last time you see it in a long time, if ever again" said Sasori.

Just then smoke filled the area as Konan emerged seemingly out of nowhere.

"What's with all the special effects?" asked Akane coughing.

"Our Kusagakure Base was broken after Sasori's last fight, and our Konoha and Iwa bases have been invaded, it seems something or someone is leaking information to the villages so this is the Leader's new policy, none of the members except the Leader himself knows the exact location of the base and how to get inside, every time the gate opens it releases this gas which hazes sight, vision, smell and touch. Anyways have you got the girl?" asked Konan.

Sakura felt a pull on her hand as she was dragged to the woman with blue hair and an origami flower in her hair.

"Good, you two go in first, the Leader will have a small talk with you" said Konan glancing at Sakura who squirmed a little.

Akane took a step cautiously in the smoke and found herself falling a long way before she landed with a bump on her hips.

"Ouch!" she complained getting up and rubbing her hip.

Sasori landed nimbly beside her on his feet and smirked at the look Akane gave him.

Akane stuck her nose into the air and took a step forward to find that she was actually on the landing on stairs and began falling face first onto the ground before she was caught by strong arms and pulled back.

"Do you usually get into such accidents or have you specially become clumsier after joining Akatsuki?" asked Sasori pulling her back.

Akane blushed a little to feel him so close to her and to feel his breath tickling her ear.

Sasori himself seemed to realize that they were a bit closer than usual but did nothing to increase the distance between them.

"N-no, umm t-thanks" stuttered Akane quickly disentangling herself from Sasori and rushing down the stairs in such a hurry that she bumped into someone when she got to the bottom.

"Oh for sake of…" Akane stopped as Deidara got to his feet in rage.

"Oh it's you, I'm surprised to see you're still alive" said Akane without getting.

"You bet I'm still alive and ready to kick your sorry ass whenever you want, yeah" said Deidara.

"Oh please, after you're last pathetic display of power I doubt I even want to waste my time fighting you" said Akane.

Before Deidara could reply a person jumped on his back causing him to fall back and hit his head on the cold stone floor.

"Senpaiiiii, welcome back, I'm so excited to be in this secret base" cried Tobi clinging to Deidara who got up groaning and rubbing his head.

"Umm, yeah, thanks" said Akane nervously as Deidara flung Tobi off his back and pounced on his and the two began brawling.

Sasori came down and Akane blushed a little at their close moment a few seconds ago.

"Are you going to stand there all day? Leader has asked for us" said Sasori.

Akane nodded and rushed down the passage till she was standing right in front of the Leader's door.

Sasori walked up quietly beside her and Akane pressed herself to the wall because the passage was very narrow. While he raised his hand to knock on the door his hand brushed again Akane's and both of them drew their hands back.

Sasori though too dignified to blush allowed himself a small step away from Akane before knocking thrice on the Leader's door.

At his quiet 'Come in' they pushed open the door glad to get out of the narrow passage and into the spacious room inside.

"Sit down both of you" said Pain pointing to the two free chairs in the room. The other chair had been occupied by Itachi who stared at the new arrivals with his usual indifference.

"I feel that Sakura Haruno should be made into a full fledged member of the Akatsuki" announced Pain.

Akane's mouth fell open, Sasori gave Pain and curious look but Itachi just stared into space.

"The reason being she will be a major asset to us, she'll be able to lure in the Kyuubi, we'll have an able medical ninja, one competent to find an antidote to even Sasori's poisons" said Pain as Sasori's eyebrows gave an annoyed twitch and while Akane suppressed a giggle.

"However taming the girl is going to be a difficult task, also there is the problem that the girl may be too weak for our standards, if that is the case then I want you to teach her Itachi" said Pain.

Itachi looked up, "I don't think any of my skills will be useful in teaching the girl"

"I disagree, Sakura Haruno specializes in Taijutsu, although you do not specialize in it you're skills are formidable, you will help her to enhance her abilities in Taijutsu as best as you can" said Pain while Itachi merely lowered his head in assent.

"Her other specialization which is her medical skill will be aided by you Takigawa-San" stated the Leader.

"Huh, me? But…but I don't know a thing about medical ninjutsu" said Akane looking surprised.

"No you don't but you have excellent chakra control, if you had wanted to you could have become a medical ninja of even the Fifth Hokage's caliber, but you chose to mould your chakra instead and that requires very precise chakra control, you will teach the girl how to control her chakra and she will enhance her medical skills in that way" said the Leader.

"Lastly you, Sasori, I don't think your puppet skills will be of any use to her but I want you to feed her knowledge about various kinds of poisons "said Pain as Sasori nodded.

"Itachi, you and Kisame will serve as her team members for the time being because putting her with Hidan or Deidara would only hinder her progress, make sure Kisame does not do anything foolish to her, and she must not escape, at whatever cost" said Pain.

"You all do realize that you will teach her what I instructed you to only after I feel that she is ready to be considered a part of Akatsuki, I will let you know when that time comes and you will begin your job then,"

Just then there was a light knocking on the door and Pain uttered 'Come in'.

Konan entered dragging Sakura long by her upper arm.

Sakura shrank in fear at the sight of the older Uchiha sitting quietly on the chair regarding her carefully.

"Damn, of all the people it had to be him sitting here, I'll be reminded of Sasuke every time I see him" thought Sakura biting her lips nervously.

"Sasori, Itachi, Takigawa-San, you three may leave and keep in mind what I have said to you" said Pain as Itachi walked out followed by Sasori and Akane.

They walked out and went their separate ways.

While they walked to their respective rooms Sasori caught Akane's hand before she could enter her room.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you something" he said quietly.

Akane turned to him and was surprised to see his eyes averted, he usually looked directly into her eyes whenever he spoke.

"Do you think I am a monster?" he asked.

Akane stared at him for a few moments surprised by this question, "Why do you ask that?"

"Just answer me…please" said Sasori.

"_This isn't like him at all, what could be wrong"_ thought Akane nervously.

"I see, I guess I better get back now," said Sasori, his eyes lowering and his bangs covering them.

He left Akane's hand and walked over to his room.

"Wait, Sasori-San" said Akane hurriedly.

Sasori stopped and turned. His face was just like always but there was a certain sadness to it.

"I don't think you're a monster at all, how could you think I would think of you as a monster after you've saved me more times than I can count, you are not a monster, and neither are you just my partner" said Akane a bit hesitantly.

Sasori's eyes lit up a bit and he folded his arms, "If I'm not just your partner then what am I?"

Akane looked at him determinedly and was glad to see a bit of surprise on his face, "You're my friend, whether you like it or not, whether you find it silly or not, you are my friend"

Sasori stared at her for sometime before his face broke into a small smile, "A friend eh? I think I like the sound of that, yes, it feels good to have a friend, I've never known how it is to have a friend"

"You never had a friend before this?" asked Akane, feeling astonished.

"I told you I was in the Akatsuki since I was fifteen, I never had time for friends before that, I always used to be immersed in my puppets" said Sasori.

After a short pause he asked, "Do you think it's possible for me to ever be a good friend?" he asked.

"I know you can and I'll be there beside you all the while" she said smiling at him.

Sasori smiled back but suddenly turned and walked back into his room, he came out a few moments later and handed Akane a small puppet.

"Aww that's so cute" said Akane.

The Puppet had red hair but it was a much brighter shade than Sasori's hair. Its eyes were deep brown and there was a slight smile to its face. In fact if one hadn't been looking carefully they wouldn't have noticed the smile at all which gave the puppet a certain mystic.

"That is a part of the Eien no Kizuna set, it was made by a group of traveling puppeteers who used to go by Suna every year when I was small, my parents said they held strong spiritual powers, and …I'd like you to have it" he said quietly.

"Really? I can have it? Thanks a lot. Sorry I can't give you a stature of fluid or chakra, but I'll try to see if I can find something, but before that, may I ask why you're giving me this?"

"As a token of our bond, as friends" said Sasori before walking into his own room and closing the door.

* * *

Please don't hit me for not making that very good and for making Sasori a bit OOC. You see, my theory was that since Sasori had spent so many years being an emotionless puppet he would show lots of emotions if he ever felt close enough to someone. And 'Eien no Kizuna' stands for 'Eternal Bonds' if you didn't know. Please let me know what you thought about it. I KNOW I'm not good at writing emotional or sweet scenes and any advice, tip or suggestion you can give would be much appreciated. See you guys next time. Toodles.


	22. A Kiss in Prison

Hi, hi, hi. Welcome to the twenty second episode of 'The Reason for Existing'. Hope you all like the story so far. Do let me know if you want any changes made.

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

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**Sakura sat in the cell she had been thrown unceremoniously into by the blue haired woman after half an hour of being threatened and ruled by the mysterious orange haired man with ringed eyes.

She sat right in the corner with her knees folded and her face buried in them. Her weapon pouch had been taken away from her, she had been searched all over by the woman and a chakra repressor had been put on her by them as well.

Both her hands and legs were chained and the entire cell was freezing cold with not even a blanket to lie upon.

"_What am I going to do? There's absolutely no way I can contact anybody, and at this rate all my chakra's going to be drained away, I'm finished, they'll lure Naruto here and kill him, everyone will get hurt because I was too weak to protect myself"_ thought Sakura as a tear fell on the cold stone floor.

"_Even after all these years after he left me lying on a stone bench I still feel for him, I tried to forget him, immerse myself in becoming stronger and capable of looking after myself but even then I didn't even last two minutes in front of Akatsuki. Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sai, Yamato-Taichou, they all got hurt because of me"_ thought Sakura as she shivered from the cold and drew her legs in more.

"I'm despicable, I'm nobody, it would be best for everyone if I died right here in this cell" thought Sakura.

"**You're wrong, you damned bumbling idiot"** came a voice from within her.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"I'm wrong?" she asked softly.

"**Hell yeah, you're completely wrong, you're an idiot who can't see how many people would shatter if they saw you dead,"** cried Inner Sakura using very extreme hand gestures to elaborate her point.

"You're joking" replied Sakura still in her broken tone.

Inner Sakura cleared her throat, pulled out a diploma and a hat and took out a board with a flip chart.

"**Ahem, pay attention now please, Case No. 1 Uzumaki Naruto, you're friend, comrade and possible boyfriend in the future, always there for you when you need him, still trying to carry out the promise he made to you over four years ago, always smiling even when his heart is breaking, do you think he'll be happy to see you dead?"** asked Inner Sakura putting on opaque, white spectacles.

"Well, no I guess no…"

"**Case No. 2 Yamanaka Ino"** said Inner Sakura cutting of Sakura. **"Claims to be your rival but is probably your closest friend, has been your friend since you were in the academy, knows what suffering you go through and tries her best to help you through it, do you think she'll be happy to see you dead?"**

"I suppose no…"

"**Case No. 3 Tsunade"** said Inner Sakura again cutting her off. **" Cares for you like her own daughter, in spite of being busy as Hokage she took time and made you into the much stronger warrior you are now, probably going mad with worry right now, do you think she'll be happy to see you dead?"**

"No, she won't" replied Sakura.

"**Case N…"**

"It's okay, I got your message" said Sakura smiling a little.

"**Huh? What? Hey how dare you cut me off, I'm supposed to cut you off"** said Inner Sakura angrily.

"Sorry, but thanks for what you've reminded me off, I have to fight, I have to keep fighting till the end," said Sakura lifting her head up.

"I wouldn't advise that" said a quiet voice from outside her cell.

Sakura jumped a little for she had been sure that she was alone.

Lifting her head she saw Itachi leaning against the wall of her cell in one hand holding an old plate with a dry crust of bread and some curry on it and a jug of water in the other.

'How long have you been there?" demanded Sakura sitting up completely.

"Four minutes and thirty two seconds" replied Itachi unlocking the cell and stepping in. He kept the jug in front of Sakura and held out the plate to her.

"I'm not eating that" said Sakura narrowing her eyes. "It could be poisoned"

Itachi did not reply but just straightened up but did not retract his hand.

Sakura's stomach gave an audible growl as she clutched it and looked away in embarrassment.

"Are you quite sure you don't want to eat it?" asked Itachi in his monotonous voice.

Sakura lifted her gaze a bit and looked at the Uchiha standing before her and for a moment she marveled the similarities between Itachi and his younger brother.

"_If he lost those tear tracks and his hair became spiky he would certainly qualify as Sasuke's twin"_ thought Sakura.

"**Oh but his hair looks better, how nice and soft it looks, framing his face and that emo-ness is just too hot, mmm"** said Inner Sakura giving a suggestive moan whereas Sakura blushed.

"How am I supposed to eat with both my hands chained like this?" asked Sakura jingling the chains a little.

Itachi simply produced a spoon and stared at her.

He took a spoonful of curry and brought it near Sakura's mouth.

"Open your mouth girl" he said softly.

Sakura was now red from her forehead top her chin, Itachi was so close that she could feel his breath on her; it smelled of mint and cinnamon.

When her stomach gave another growl Sakura opened her mouth a little and Itachi pushed the spoon in and Sakura cleaned it up, then Itachi tore a bit of the bread and pushed it into her mouth.

Soon Sakura had finished whatever was on her plate thanks to help from Itachi and had been given a sip from the jug and then she sat back feeling much better than before.

"Has the Leader mentioned what he wants from you yet?" asked Itachi.

"He wants me to heal your eyes, and join up with the Akatsuki" said Sakura not looking at the older Uchiha.

"And what are going to do?" asked Itachi moving closer and kneeling down beside her.

"I…I w-won't join you, I'll n-never betray Konoha" said Sakura uncomfortable at how close the raven haired man was.

"I see, your being loyal to Konoha" said Itachi gently catching Sakura's cheek and pulling her face towards him so that their noses were almost toughing.

"Y-yes, I'm going t-to be loyal to Konoha" whispered Sakura trying to put up a brave front whereas in reality she was terrified.

"How amusing" said Itachi closing the gap between them and pressing his lips softly onto Sakura's.

Sakura's world erupted into a blinding white when Itachi's soft lips met with hers. The kiss was so brief it left her wondering whether it had really happened or not. It was like a feather had brushed against her lips.

Itachi pulled away a little but still remaining very close to her, he moved to her ear and whispered, "It amuses me to see your naivety, to see you flapping about, trying to escape, it feels good knowing you're completely helpless, do you know the things I could do to you now?"

Sakura tried to scream but her throat had gone dry, she tried to push him off her but her arms wouldn't move either.

Just then there was a loud noise of someone clearing their throat from outside the cell and Itachi slowly moved away from Sakura to stood up to face Akane who seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry to disturb your little moment but the Leader has called for you right now, Uchiha-San" she said politely.

Sakura sighed in relief, _"I never thought I would actually be glad to see her"_ she thought as Itachi quietly walked out of the cell.

Akane watched Itachi leave and till the dungeon door slammed she didn't speak. Once she was sure he had left she took a glance at Sakura and smirked at her flushed face.

'W-what're you smiling for?" asked Sakura, irritated.

"Oh nothing, I was there for a bit, he kissed you didn't he?" asked Akane.

Sakura looked away blushing.

"He kissed you on the very first day, goodness knows what he'll do to you in the days to follow" said Akane in a fake innocent tone.

"**She's got a point, mmm, my head's just filling up with kinky thoughts"** said Inner Sakura as Sakura's blush deepened.

"Akane!" came a sharp voice from outside.

"What is it?" asked Akane facing Konan who stood there glaring at her.

"You were told to send Itachi up and join Sasori at the front gate for your next mission" said Konan.

"I was just going anyways!" said Akane in a low tone as she stepped out of the cell and walked away.

Konan turned to look at Sakura, "If you won't join the Akatsuki your going to die right here, the choice is yours" she said before slamming the cell door shut, putting a seal and an explosive tag and leaving.

* * *

Akio sighed at the awkward moment which presented itself before him. There he was sitting between Rika and Sousuke, the latter was giving the former nervous glances while the former kept shooting death glares at the latter, muttering swear words under her breath.

"So Rika I hope you had a safe journey to Konoha" said Akio.

"Obviously or I wouldn't be sitting here unscratched" snapped Rika.

"That's a nice kimono you've got, and what a fragrance" said Akio.

"You said that last month, try something else now" said Rika.

"Look, this is ridiculous, you're seriously over reacting" said Akio loosing his patience.

"I'm not over reacting, why is this man-whore still with you Akio?" asked Rika.

"Rika-San, I'm sorry for whatever I've done but please at least tell me what you're so angry about" said Sousuke.

"Oh I'll tell you all right, you want to get into Akio's pants isn't that right?" asked Rika standing up.

"N-no I don't, I just admire him a lot and I think he's a wonderful person but that doesn't mean I want to…' Sousuke blushed a little and lowered his gaze.

"Don't lie, I know what you're after, and once I can convince Akio, he'll be disgusted" said Rika.

"Hello, I'm still here you know" said Akio unsuccessfully trying to restore peace.

"Please sweetie, couldn't you just try to get along with Sousuke? He's not a bad guy I'm telling you" said Akio trying to sort things out but this comment even made Rika angrier.

"Ha! Not a bad guy, see he's already wrapped you around his little finger, he's a slut, a chunk of dirt, he's trash and if you continue being with him too you'll end up being trash too Akio, mark my words" yelled Rika.

So far Sousuke had been very submissive, always shying away from violence and fights but Rika's insults towards Akio made something inside him click and he rose up so fast that Akio didn't even see him.

He marched right up to the angry woman and spoke in a furious tone, "Listen, I don't care what you say about me, but if you ever insult Akio-San again I'm going to have to hurt you"

His tone made left Akio and Rika dumbfounded.

Sousuke himself seemed to realize what he had done and went red.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry Rika-San" he said backing away quickly.

Akio burst into laughter as Rika glared at him. If looks could have killed Sousuke's body would have been found deep in the bowels of hell right then.

Turning around with a graceful turn she stumbled a little and walked out of the door slamming the door hard.

"Shouldn't we go after her Lord Akio?" asked Sousuke collapsing on the bed.

'No, no, she's tired, she'll come back after she's let off some steam" said Akio as the door flew open and Rika came running in again.

"That was faster than I expected" said Akio as Rika ran up to him.

"Akio, outside, near the gates, Akatsuki" panted Rika clutching her chest.

Akio's smile vanished as Sousuke's eyes widened with horror.

"They're after me, I just know they're after me, they're here to kill me" said Sousuke curling himself up into a ball and beginning to rock about.

"Rika, can I trust you to get Sousuke out of here safely?" asked Akio grabbing his katana.

'Me? Get him out? No way" said Rika taking a glance at the petite, young boy.

"Rika, please, I know you hate him, but this time he's really terrified, can't you see? Please, do it for me." Said Akio.

"Okay fine, but just answer this, you haven't slept with him have you?" asked Rika clutching Akio.

"Of course not, now let go of me, I've got some Akatsuki butt to kick" said Akio running out of the room.

When Akio had left Rika went up to the frightened boy.

He softly kept on repeating things like "I'm finished" or "They're going to get me"

"Look, get up from there, we've got to get out of this village now" said Rika.

Sousuke ignored her and kept rocking.

"Hey listen to me, we've got to run or else Akio can't fight properly, much as I hate to admit it I'm as much as a burden to him as you, so we've both got to stay clear from this place" cried Rika shaking the boy.

Sousuke merely began thrashing about and one of his flailing fists out Rika in the mouth and she staggered back a bit clutching her jaw.

"Damn you, I've got no option" said Rika pulling up the boy's face and giving him a stinging slap on his cheek which turned red.

He stared at Rika looking shocked but less dazed.

'Now do I have to drag you or are you coming?" asked Rika impatiently. From the sounds of metal clashing it seemed like Akio had begun fighting.

"Right" said Sousuke jumping down from the bed. The slap seemed to have kicked him out of his trauma and he was now more alert and vigilant than ever.

"There's another village 5 kilometers south from here, we'll go there, and once we're there we'll find some way to contact Akio" said Rika creeping out of the back door of the inn and beginning to run.

Meanwhile Akio had jumped down from the top floor of the inn and rushed towards the gates of the village which was hurriedly being closed.

In the distance two black, cloaked figures with red clouds could be seen walking towards the village. They did not seem to be very bothered that the gates were being closed and did not increase their speed. The huge metal gates closed with a bang and a large metal slab ad put in two holders on the walls beside it. Despite the village being medium sized the natural resources present in it were very high leading to it becoming a semi-hidden village. There was a tall wall all around the village.

Akio waited tensely knowing that merely closing the gates would not keep the Akatsuki members out and he was correct for in fifteen minutes someone on the other side said, 'Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu" and the entire gate was blown into pieces as two figures could be seen from the dust.

"Impossible" cried the village chief who was a tall, muscular man wearing a stately yukata with a blue and gold coat and carrying a gold-topped walking stick.

"That gate was made from pressurized iron, how could such a simple jutsu have taken it down?" stuttered the man.

"The jutsu is as powerful as the user who casts it; this shows that the man who cast this jutsu is a formidable adversary: said Akio grimly as the two cloaked figures moved forward.

"You, you're an assassin aren't you, my boy, I'll give you half the riches this village owns if you can slay those two demons" said the chief pointing to the Akatsuki.

"Half of this village's riches? That's a solid amount, you're village is richer than four of the five Hidden villages, I think I will accept this task" said Akio swinging his katana.

The two Akatsuki members had now stepped out of the smoke and though their kasa hats covered their faces Akio knew who one of them was.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. A warning in advance the next chapter will contain several sexual contents (not between Sakura and Itachi I'm afraid). Let me know what you think of this chapter and see you guys next time!


	23. Pseudo Death

Hi everyone I'm back. Before anything I would like to inform you that my annual examinations are beginning in two weeks. As such the situation is pretty hectic. Please forgive me if I'm slow in updating because these exams are really important. I probably won't update anything for the first two of three weeks of February so I'm trying my best right now. Please enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF IT'S CHARATCERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

* * *

Rika had been running for the past two hours and in the elegant kimono she was dressed in, the task had proved to be a very cumbersome one, owing to the fact that the heavy clothes trailed behind her and pulled her back, also it would sometimes get caught in brambles or thorny plants if they were running through bushes.

"Just how far is this damn village anyways? Akio told me it was supposed to be near here" yelled Rika swatting a couple of mosquitoes away.

"No, no, he said it was the _nearest_ one to the one where we were staying" replied Sousuke who was in a much better condition and seemed rather amused to see the beautiful Rika covered in mud, dirty clothes, scratches on her face and twigs entangled in her tousled up long hair.

"Oh god, I've had enough" yelled Rika suddenly falling face front on the ground, tears welled up in her eyes and she began to bawl as loudly as her larynx would permit her to.

"Rika-San, please don't cry so loudly, we don't know behind which bush the enemy might ambush us from" said Sousuke leaning down beside her and helping her up.

"I can't run anymore, carry me" ordered Rika rubbing her eyes.

"Umm, well, you see" said Sousuke twiddling his fingers.

"What's wrong you dolt, carry me" yelled Rika.

A hollow silence echoed through the forest when suddenly the animals sensed danger and ran away. Not long after that an explosive cry pierced the area all around the forest.

"WHAT? YOU THINK I'M FAT?"

* * *

Sakura was feeling very dizzy as she got up from the stone floor of her cell. For the first time in what had felt like months to her had she been allowed to leave her cell and take in sunlight. Due to the continuous hours in the dark cell her formerly bright skin had turned a light shade of gray. Her once spiky hair hung in loose knots and her eyes had a sunken yet determined look to them.

One thing was clear. No matter what Sakura Haruno was made to go through, her will would not extinguish.

Itachi had visited her cell only once after the kissing incident and that had been to escort her back to light. Apart from that it was usually Kisame or Konan who brought her food.

Inner Sakura had appeared every time Sakura had shown signs of loosing hope. Along with her every time she brought her flipchart, diploma and hat as well even though Sakura had not the faintest idea where she had managed to acquire those!

Thoughts about her friends back at Konoha had also helped a lot in keeping the girl's fighting spirit high. She imagined what Naruto, Tsunade, Kakashi, Ino and all the others would say if she gave in to the torture.

So all the positive energy flowing in her in contrast to her damp, unkept and defeated appearance, she found herself no wincing when Itachi dragged her along her a chain to what she imagined as the Leader's office. The previous time she had been in there she had been blindfolded, this time if they didn't blindfold her it meant they considered her to be a part of Akatsuki, which if she refused she would be killed.

Sakura gulped a little but managed to keep a clear mind. Suddenly Itachi stopped in front of a door in a rather narrow passage and knocked three times.

"Come in" said a deep male voice from inside and Sakura found herself dragged into a room where a light breeze seemed to be perpetually blowing.

Seated behind a large desk was a man whose face could not be clearly seen due to the shadows. But the spiky orange hair he had reminded Sakura of her blonde, orange-clad friend and suddenly she wished she was back in her cell.

"Bring her here and then leave Itachi" ordered the voice.

Sakura marveled at how the man was easily able to control and give orders to Itachi.

"He must be considerably more powerful than Itachi or else he wouldn't have the nerve to give him orders, wait what am I saying, this man is the Leader of Akatsuki, so of course he has to be the strongest of them all" thought Sakura trying to concentrate on identifying the man.

"Haruno Sakura, I told you the last time why you had been kidnapped from Konoha and brought here to the Akatsuki, I believe the time has come for you to make a decision" said the Leader still hidden in the shadows.

"I…I don't think I can reply r-r-right n-now, give me some more time please" said Sakura feeling daunted by the presence of such a powerful being next to her.

"I believe a week's time is sufficient to decide upon a simple yes or no Haruno Sakura" replied the man, with a curt tone clearly audible.

"Oh, umm, yeah, I suppose so" said Sakura looking down. Suddenly she had a wild notion to make a break for it and run out but before she could do that she returned to reality and stopped her legs from moving.

"**What're you thinking so much about? The answer is obvious isn't it?"** yelled Inner Sakura waving her arms about as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about" stated Sakura.

**"Join them"** said Inner Sakura smirking at Sakura's scandalized look.

"Are you crazy? You're asking me to join the organization who's hunting down Naruto and making his life hell, the one that killed Gaara and Chiyo Baa~Sama" yelled back Sakura.

"I'm still waiting for your reply" said the Leader impatiently.

**"Say yes you dunderhead, if you say no now he'll kill you right on spot, say yes, become a part of them and then work out a strategy, maybe you can win their trust and then finish them off from within, but say yes for now"** said Inner Sakura in an unusually serious tone.

Sakura thought over it for a moment before she looked up, "Fine, I'll join your organization"

The Leader did not reply but the Konan emerged from the shadows and held out a cloak and a hat to Sakura.

"Itachi will show you to your room, dress yourself up in the cloak and hat, you'll get your ring during the initiation ceremony, do not ever betray us, we do not show mercy to traitors" said the Leader.

_"Yeah like you're really kind with loyal or innocent people"_ scoffed Sakura mentally as she took the clothes offered to her and got up.

"One more thing, you'll be taking lessons in Taijutsu and maybe Genjutsu from Itachi, lessons in chakra control and modulation from Ms. Takigawa and poisons from Sasori when they return, do not be any later than 5:15 AM for your first lesson tomorrow, for now, take rest in your room" sad the Leader as Sakura felt an invisible force pushing her towards the door till it shut with a bang leaving her alone in the narrow passage.

* * *

Akio grimaced as he dodged a near fatal blow from the damned akatsuki woman who he had challenged to fight.

Meanwhile her partner had roamed off somewhere and the Village Chief was nowhere in sight.

"_Damn if I mess this up half the wealth of the Village goes bye, bye, bye"_ he thought to himself when the Akatsuki woman did a few hand signs and a flaming dragon erupted out of her mouth and menacingly advanced towards Akio.

"Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu" cried Akio as a huge wave of water gushed passed him and intercepted the dragon before it could strike.

"Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu" said Akane as the huge wall of solid earth rose out from the ground and blocked the water.

"Lighting Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu" said Akane as he arms began sparkling with a whitish energy.

"_What the heck is that"_ thought Akio in surprise as Akane appeared beside him and struck him a blow to his left shoulder.

A scream of acute agony left Akio's mouth as the flesh on his left shoulder tore away leaving a huge black burn at that spot.

Akio jumped away from Akane who followed him but even in his injured condition Akio could escape much faster than the Akatsuki.

Akio took to a safe distance and threw some kunai at Akane who caught them in her hand and threw them back at Akio.

While Akio dodged the kunai Akane pressed her hand to the ground and whitish energy began to radiate through the earth and blasted the spot.

Akio was not expecting this and was caught off guard as lightning ran through his body only affecting some vital arteries and veins and also stopping the flow of blood into his limbs thus rendering him paralyzed.

"My electromagnetic murder is a jutsu that has never failed me, consider yourself lucky to die at my hands while I use this jutsu" said Akane stepping towards him but just as she raised up her hand five slashes appeared all over it and she winced in pain as the jutsu disappeared.

"Killing me is going to be tougher bitch" said Akio.

Akane looked around and then smirked, "I see, so you use these nearly invisible strings which you control using your chakra, and in accordance to the slashes on my arm I guess they're really sharp" said Akane.

"Hmm, I'm impressed you managed to sum all that up, but you missed something, the thread has not left you" said Akio grinning as Akane's eyes widened in shock as she found herself hurtling towards a sharp metal spear held by a statue of a horse rider.

"If that thing impales me I'm finished" thought Akane "I've got no choice"

The spear neared her and pierced her stomach, then Akio controlled her so that her heart was pierced as well.

He felt the paralysis slowly wearing off and looked up in shock to see a figure in black cloak and a hat standing in front of him.

His shock lessened when he saw that this was in fact a man. And on behind him in a dead slump lay the village chief and three other men all trussed up like chicken trailing behind him as he roughly dragged them over the uneven terrain.

"Looks like you showed up a little too late to save your partner, that bitch is dead" said Akio smirking triumphantly.

Sasori's brown eyes were all that was visible under the kasa hat and they glared at Akio with such deep malice that even the young man began to feel uneasy.

The wind had stopped moving around them and Sasori seemed to be emitting a deadly aura.

Then suddenly the feeling disappeared and Sasori's cold voice broke out, "If you're done playing dead we've got to leave now, and you're carrying half of these lugs" said Sasori top the corpse of Akane.

"Hey you mentally unstable or what? Can't you see she's de…"

Akio stepped back in shock as Akane's body began deforming, it turned into a putty like substance, bubble burst from it as it turned a lime green and slowly all that was left of her corpse was a fairly large blob of green liquid.

"Sheesh you just don't know how to treat a woman do you?" said Akane as her head appeared from within the pool of liquid.

"I'm merely reminding you that we don't have time to fool around" snapped Sasori impatiently.

Akane caught sight of Akio staring and stuck her tongue out at him as her entire body rose out of the liquid. Akane fixed her hat on her head again as a sweet scent drifted into the air around Akio.

"What the fuck is wrong with me, I'm seeing double, there's four of them, no eight, god, help me" thought Akio as his mind became fuzzy and everything blackened.

Akane watched with interest as Sasori's poison caused 'the brat' to fall into a deep coma.

"How long do you think it'll be before he's up?" asked Akane as her chains erupted and wrapped themselves around two of the four men.

"A week, a month, maximum three months, I don't really care" said Sasori indifferently, "Besides I'm more interested to know what technique you used just then"

"Oh no, nosy as a parker are we? Curiosity killed the cat you know" said Akane teasingly as she dragged the men behind her.

"End your cocky act right now Akane and tell me what that jutsu you just used was" yelled Sasori.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to yell" said Akane annoyingly.

At Sasori's murderous glare she sighed, "It was another of my chakra molding jutsu, I learnt this one from an old acquaintance of mine and well, I'm usually rather reluctant to use it but I'm never too emotional, end of story" said Akane.

"But…" Sasori opened his mouth to argue but Akane placed a finger on his lips.

"Shh, no more questions now, I'll tell you later properly okay?" asked Akane softly.

Sasori nodded feeling rather flushed and nonchalantly nodding his head he dragged the men along behind him.

"Oh and i noticed that you really thought i was dead when you arrived on the scene didn't you?" asked Akane playfully.

Sasori blushed, "Of course not, how do you even imagine I'd be fooled by such a petty trick" he scoffed.

"You chakra levels became uneven and you became dangeruously angry, that's so sweet, now i know you'll be very angry with the person who kills me, if you hadn't noticed my heart beating you probably would have gotten berserk and killed that guy wouldn't you?" asked Akane.

"I don't have time to speak such nonsense with you, so quit your yapping and lets move" said Sasori walking forward rapidly as Akane grinned at his back.

* * *

Kakashi had never been more depressed in his life. As he sat in Tsunade's private ward room waiting for the Hokage to come and talk to him he thought over his years and couldn't help lower his head in acute shame.

"_I'm useless, what's the use of me knowing Kamui when I can never use it to protect my allies, I couldn't protect Obito, I lost Rin on an S-Rank Mission, I wasn't there to help Sensei and Kushina-san when they died for Naruto, I couldn't stop Sasuke leaving the village and neither can I bring him back now, I can't protect Naruto from the Akatsuki, and now to top it all off I've let those damned monsters take Sakura right out of my grasps"_ he thought bitterly, cursing himself for failing so many times again and again.

"Blaming yourself for it all again?" asked Tsunade scratching away at a clipboard. In his bitterness he hadn't noticed when the blonde Hokage had entered the room and had begun messing about.

"Any reason for me not to?" asked Kakashi quietly.

"Plenty of reasons, for one it won't do any good now, secondly it's bringing you down, thirdly it's bringing everyone else down seeing you like this, fourthly none of them would have wanted you to feel like this, fifthly it's just plain pathetic, should I go on?" asked Tsunade still not looking up from her clipboard.

"I'd rather you didn't" said Kakashi still in his low tone.

Tsunade sighed and put down her clipboard.

"Look Kakashi, you made mistakes, so what? Everyone does. I could blame myself for not being able to save Dan, Nawaki, Sarutobi-sensei, for not being able to be there for Jiraiya when Orochimaru left, for abandoning my village, I have blamed myself, but you see I've gotten over it, there's no use in sitting and moping, you mess up, try to fix things instead of drowning yourself in self-pity" said Tsunade in her usual blunt, straightforward way.

Kakashi lifted his head and his eyes met with Tsunade who patted his shoulder comfortingly before getting up again.

"I'll be discharging you in five hours, you'll be leaving with Sai, Yamato, Team 8 and Team 11 along with some Anbu Captains tomorrow evening at seven, better prepare yourself, mentally I mean" said Tsunade.

"What about Naruto?" asked Kakashi.

"The Elders have specifically forbidden me to let him leave the Village at any cost, I tried to argue but they wouldn't budge this time, damn old geezers, but they have that power so I've no choice but to keep Naruto under sedatives because I'm sure he'll find some way to sneak out if he wakes up" said Tsunade.

"Knowing him I'm sure he will" said Kakashi a little more cheerfully.

Tsunade gave a smile, "Anyways, remember what I've told you and get back Sakura okay?" asked Tsunade.

Kakashi nodded as Tsunade went out and shut the door leaving him in complete solitude.

* * *

So that's all I could manage under the circumstances, please bear with me till mid Feb at least. Thank you all. See you very soon hopefully.


	24. Akane's Past

Hi guys and welcome to the twenty-fourth chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I'm really pleased that so many of you like my story and I'm hoping to reach 100 reviews before I can finish the stories and the only one who can fulfill that wish of mine is you. This will probably be the last or second last chapter I update before my exams begin to please forgive my lack of updating from end of January to mid February. For now please enjoy and review!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs**

* * *

Sasori and Akane were relaxing in Akane's room after the success of the mission to capture the Village chief of a very resourceful village.

"It was hardly worth breaking a sweat" said Akane.

"You seemed to have broken into quite a sweat while fighting that assassin" said Sasori who was perched on her desk.

"I suppose so, for some unknown reason he awakens a real fighting spirit in me, it's a kind of feeling, well I can't exactly describe it but I feel I know more about him than it seems" said Akane.

Sasori regarded the girl carefully who seemed to be disturbed in thought.

"Often tragic events in our past may cause us to forget important events, important people, that man might have been someone you knew" suggested Sasori.

"I guess that's possible, he could be someone I knew before…"

Akane cut off her words and lowered her eyes again.

Sasori noticed she had gone into the same hunched up position as on the first day he had met her after being revived.

"She's had a tough past, it shows in her eyes, that haunted look, while my past has not been all sunshine I at least had my grand mother to love, but it seems that she was torn away from every single thing she held dear" said Sasori.

"Sasori-San, will you listen to my story?" asked Akane softly.

Sasori's eyes widened in surprise for he had not expected Akane to actually offer to tell her story.

"I guess so trusts me more than she lets on" said Sasori before jumping down from the bed and walking over to sit beside her on the bed.

"You don't have to force yourself to say anything, if you're not comfortable saying anything then don't say it" said Sasori a bit gruffly.

Akane shook her head a bit, "I know I can trust you, and anyways, we're friends aren't we?"

Sasori took her hand and gave her a small smile, "Yes, we're friends, you can tell me anything you want"

Akane gave a long pause and a large sniff before speaking "I was seven or eight years old when my entire village was annihilated by some Shinobi from Konoha, they killed my father, my mother and elder sister were raped and, they hurt my elder brother and well tried to tough me too, after that I'm not exactly sure what happened but I felt very angry, all I could see was red everywhere,"

"_Red everywhere? That sounds like a murderous intent"_ thought Sasori pressing Akane's hand comfortingly.

"When I woke up I was in some unknown village, I wandered about there for years doing odd jobs like sweeping, cooking, washing, for around three and half years. It wasn't a very easy life, but at least I was surviving just fine. But one day I got cornered in an ally by some thugs and they tried to beat me up" said Akane.

"I would probably have been crushed by them because I didn't even know anything about being a Shinobi then, but I was saved by _him_" said Akane whose eyes had begun to glisten by now.

"Him?" asked Sasori looking confused.

"Aihara Keita, he was a poor carpenter who mainly made coffins, his reasoning was that the village was so poor that someone died every other day out of starvation or from brawls with thugs from other villages" said Akane shakily.

Sasori grimaced at such a thought as Akane continued.

"He was a strange man, very dedicated to his profession, he would spend all night in a dingy little hut beside his actual house, his house wasn't very well built but his hut was even worse, it was made of mud and clay and had the most atrocious odor ever-present there, Keita told me it was the smell of corpses decaying beneath his hut where his family actually once lived" said Akane who was silently crying now.

"Everyday he would get up at the crack of dawn, and begin making coffins, whenever someone would come along to buy one he would smile at them and sell it to them at a ridiculously low price, that's why he didn't have enough money to spend on the both of us so I started working as well" said Akane.

"As each day passed by he would keep getting thinner and thinner and whenever I tried to connive him to not work in that cold hut he would say his reason for existing lay in there and he would ask me mine own reason to which I would have no reply" cried Akane burying her face in her knees.

"And what happened to this Keita?" asked Sasori.

"He died, he died suffering and making coffins till his last moment, I didn't want to admit it but I had fallen in love with him at some point even though our motto was never to fall in love because we might get crushed the very next moment" replied Akane.

Sasori's back stiffened a little but he didn't say anything.

"I had just gone to fetch him a blanket for the night when I heard a crash in the hut I ran and he was heaving and coughing, his hammer had fallen out of his hand, I got him to lie down and rushed to the village to obtain help or medicine but…"

"But?" inquired Sasori.

"None of those heartless, greedy, monsters would provide any medicine for Keita because he was supposed to be cursed, they believed him to be a bad omen and some of them even were glad that he was dying" said Akane with hatred burning in her eyes.

"I ran back to the hut to do something when I found him slouched over his chair, coughing with tears pouring down his cheeks with all his attempt to stop coughing but he was still diligently hammering away at his coffin, when I entered he smiled at me despite his tears, I…I would never forget that moment, he called me close to me and said a few things I would never forget" said Akane closing her eyes as her mind raced back to that moment.

_FLASHBACK_

"_**Akane, forgive me, it's time for me to take my leave, please put me in this coffin and bury me below this hut with my mother and sister, never forget me, never forget to find your reason for existing, and never forget that I love you from the bottom of my heart"**_ _he said before his breath gave way and he collapsed on Akane's shoulder._

_END FLASHBACK_

Akane was now crying very hard with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Sasori who seemed very disturbed and at a loss to do something wrapped one arm around her shoulder.

Akane buried her face in his chest as Sasori hugged her.

They stayed in that position for another fifteen minutes before Akane pulled away wiping her eyes and sniffing loudly.

"Sorry... I got your cloak wet" she said still sniffing.

"It doesn't matter, stop crying now, it makes you look ugly" said Sasori wiping Akane's tears with his thumbs.

Akane gave a mixed sniff and hiccup before taking out a hanky and wiping her face.

"After he was gone I did what he told me to and then I left that village but I had no idea where I was going, I wandered day after day here and then without a morsel in my stomach before one day my strength finally gave out and I collapsed on the street of some unknown village" said Akane.

_FLASHBACK_

_A young girl of 17 walked slowly in the busy streets of a market district._

_Occasionally someone would hit her shoulder but nobody stopped at all. The girl continued on, dragging her feet, a perfect picture of misery._

_Finally her strength gave way and she collapsed on the street face down._

_Yet nobody stopped to help her up, they simply passed by or over her. A few people gave her concerned looks but nobody stepped forward._

"_Looks like I'll be joining you faster than I expected Keita" muttered the girl softly when suddenly a shadow was cast over her._

_Finding enough strength to turn her head she saw a tall woman standing above her with a large shopping basket in one hand and the other hand outstretched towards the fallen girl._

"_You know, if you take naps in the middle of the road you might get rub over by somebody's cart" said the woman cheerfully._

_Akane stared at the woman's outstretched hands and then again looked at her face._

"_Come on, up you come" said the woman grabbing Akane's hand and pulling her up._

"_Wow you're thinner than my broomstick, I'll have to feed you up a lot, I hope Daisuke won't mind, that's my husband by the way, yes I know it's tough to believe I've got a husband because of my youthful looks but actually I'm twenty seven years old though most people believe me to be not a day older than sixteen" chattered the woman as she walked with Akane leaning on her._

_Soon they arrived at a small but cheerfully decorated house and the woman kicked the door open and went inside with Akane._

"_Dai-Chan, look what I found on the road" cried the woman dumping the bag of groceries in another room as a loud groan was heard from the backyard._

"_Awwww, Ayako, which dog, cat or monkey have you picked up this time?" came a masculine voice as a young man of around twenty eight entered the room._

_He wore a Shinobi uniform with a Suna symbol on it and had a pleasant smile on his face which disappeared when he set eyes on Akane._

"_Oh my, that's not a dog or a cat" he said in a low tone._

"_Dai-Chan, I would like you to meet…" Ayako paused and turned to Akane._

'_Now that I think about it I don't know what your name is," she said with her finger on her chin._

_Akane looked at her through her sunken eyes and muttered her name, "Akane"_

_END FLSHBACK_

Akane gave a stifled sob and a giggle together.

"That was the first time I met Daisuke and Ayako, at first Daisuke was a little reluctant to take me in because they weren't very well off but eventually his heart triumphed over his mind, he taught me ninjutsu and taijutsu and helped me develop my barrier art, once I had become even stronger than him I became a mercenary for hire and began to assassinate people and earn money which I always shared with them" said Akane wistfully.

"We were very happy together but the money I was earning wasn't nearly enough for three people's daily needs so I decided to wander different countries in hopes of getting more money and better proposals, over the years I became stronger and stronger and all the while I was practicing my chakra molding till I had perfected it" continued Akane.

"I see, and you continued doing this till you were asked to join the Akatsuki six months ago?" inquired Sasori.

"Yeah, I still share whatever money I get with Daisuke and Ayako because they are the only two people alive who I know still care for me, unless of course my brother or sister managed to survive the massacre which I don't think they did" said Akane looking sad again.

"I see, that's really a sad story you've got there, but you know, I always thought it never does us good to live in the past or have any regrets" said Sasori.

"Live in the past? I don't think I get what you mean" questioned Akane frowning.

"You're past is tragic, no doubt, but there's nothing you can do now to alter it, so why let it hamper your present moment?" said Sasori.

Akane looked thoughtful and said, "I suppose you're correct, but sometimes I just wish I had been more helpful to my family or to Keita"

"I don't think you could have done anymore that what you did, there's a certain limit a person cannot cross no matter how hard they try, look at me, I spent over twenty years trying to become immortal but I was brought down by a pink haired brat and an old hag, it was futile then, my entire twenty years, but I haven't just stood mourning about it and I've moved on become stronger" said Sasori.

"Have you? You seem the same to me as you were before you died" said Akane.

Sasori smirked and brought his face near Akane's ear, "Oh but there are so many things I don't tell you" he said lightly blowing into her ear.

Akane went as red as her name and shifted a little suddenly realizing she was trapped in Sasori's arms.

"Let me go you pervert" she cried struggling as Sasori gave a laugh which sent a shiver down Akane's spine.

"I'm never going to let you go, Akane, just remember that" he said pressing his lips onto Akane's ears and then lowering it to her neck.

"S…top, such things are forbidden between friends" cried Akane weakly trying to escape.

"Oh? Are you quite sure about that?" asked Sasori turning Akane's head so that she was facing him.

He watched her for a few moments before he cupped her chin with his hand and gently pressed his lips onto Akane's.

"_This…this can't be happening Sasori-san…is kissing me!"_ thought Akane as she closed her eyes and found herself kissing him back.

Sasori smirked when he felt her kissing him back and his hand wandered to her back.

Soon the two had to pull away due to lack of air and for a few moments they just stared at each other before kissing each, but this time it was more passionate and fierce than the previous one.

* * *

Sakura panted heavily as Itachi swung in for another hit.

She managed to dodge him but it turned out to be his clone and the real Itachi appeared behind her and did hand signs, "Fire Release: Giant Ball of Fire Jutsu"

Sakura's eyes widened as she found herself surrounded by red flames.

But surprisingly enough they didn't even leave a blister on her, suddenly realizing that she had been caught in a genjutsu she pressed her hands together and yelled "Kai" as the flames disappeared and she collapsed on the rough ground.

Itachi walked up to her and kneeled down, lifting up her chin and forcing her bright green eyes to meet his intense black ones.

"I'm impressed you managed to realize and dispel that genjutsu so quickly thought you left plenty of time for me to deliver a fatal blow to you" he said.

Sakura gulped, she didn't like being so vulnerable, and Itachi was so close to her that she could feel his minty breath on her face.

"You're taijutsu skills are fair, mainly because they're just brawn skills, simply cracking up the earth doesn't make you strong, if you haven't mastered the technique I taught you today by the end of this week then I'll have to…punish you" he said licking his lips.

Sakura gulped more this time as her mind filled with terror. Inner Sakura however let out a large high school girl-like squeal.

"**Ohh, he's going to punish us, I wonder what kind of kinky punishments he's going to give us, mmm, hey Sakura make sure to mess up so that he can do his stuff on you"**

"_Are you crazy or what, I'm going perfect that technique, there's no way I'm staying for his punishment"_ yelled Sakura mentally as Itachi got up and turned away and before Sakura could blink he had disappeared.

"_Well at least that's another thing the Uchiha brothers have in common, disappearing like some on me"_ thought Sakura as she struggled to get up.

* * *

Well that's it for this chapter. See you all again next time on 'The Reason for Existing'. Do review!


	25. The New Mission

Hi guys. My exams are still continuing but I've got a two day holiday in the middle so I'm writing this chapter so that you all have something to read. Please read the story and let me know how you feel.

* * *

Sakura was feeling extremely uncomfortable at the moment.

Ever since her training session with Itachi had been completed he would take to visiting her an hour before his time and sitting outside the cell staring unabashedly at her.

"**He's all over you hun, you should make hay while you can, and while you're at it make some babies too"** said Inner Sakura.

"Why do you have to be so inconsiderate and perverted?" whispered Sakura.

"**Hello? I'm your subconscious mind, anything I think comes from you my dear, so technically it's you who wants him to make babies with you not me"** cried Inner Sakura triumphantly.

"Oh just shut up!" yelled Sakura.

Itachi's eyes lifted slightly in amusement.

"It appears as if the girl has lost touch of her sanity, what with being copped up in here for weeks" said Akane suddenly appearing beside Itachi.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" asked Itachi getting up and standing between the cell and Akane.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not here for the torture session…_yet_" said Akane with a smile radiating maliciousness.

"I have spoken top the Leader to not let you conduct the torture session, he said he would consider it" replied Itachi monotonously.

"I'm aware of that, but you know as well as I do that if he doesn't let me do it then the next option is Hidan" said Akane knowingly.

Itachi did not react but merely blinked a few times.

"It's time for Haruno to have her training session with me, also the Leader wants her moved to a new place, namely my room, she'll be under my custody from now on, the Leader wants you to go on a mission with Kisame and you're to meet him as soon as possible, better start trotting" said Akane producing a key from her cloak and unlocking the cell.

Akane took out a katana and raised it as Sakura's eyes widened in fear as she glanced towards Itachi who simply looked on.

With a slashing movement the katana came down causing the chains to snap into pieces.

"I hope you're not going to try and run my dear? I'm pretty tired as it is" said Akane pulling Sakura and throwing her out by her hair.

As Sakura got up rubbing her hair Akane wrapped one of her special chakra chains around her and dragged her towards the door of the cell.

"How long are you going to stand their Itachi-San? The Leader will be most displeased if you're late" she said quietly before moving out of the passage, banging the door shut behind her.

* * *

"Oh my god Akio, sweetie, darling are you alive?" cried Rika as two men landed in front of her, one of them carrying an unconscious and badly hurt Akio on his back.

"Lord Akio!" cried Sousuke in horror as the men placed him on a futon.

"Sousuke, you're a medical ninja, do your thing" ordered one of the men as Sousuke nodded and set to work healing Akio's wounds as his hands glowed green.

Rika stared jealously as the boy continued to heal Akio till he sat back and wiped sweat of his forehead.

"He should be gaining consciousness in a few minutes though he'll be weak" said Sousuke to the two men.

"How did he end up like that? Answer me you fool" screeched Rika.

"He was fighting two Akatsuki members from what the witnesses had to say, apparently he killed one of them but he or she came back to life and the other one released a sweet gas which made him loose consciousness" said the man who had carried Akio.

"How awful, I knew I shouldn't have left Akio alone there, this is all your fault" cried Rika pointing towards Sousuke.

"But…but…I don't see…"

"If only you weren't there I would have convinced Akio to hide and then he wouldn't have been in this condition, damn you bastard" cried Rika throwing herself on Sousuke and wrapping her hands around his throat.

"Miss Rika, stop it" cried the men pulling her away from the boy who was on the floor now, hacking and coughing dreadfully.

"Let me go, don't touch me you dirty ruffians," cried Rika disentangling herself from the two men.

She walked up to Sousuke and kicked him hard in the stomach.

"I swear to god if you ever trouble Akio and me again I'll kill you, and I'll make sure that even a scrap of skin isn't left when I'm done with you, remember I am the Mistress of Aizawa Manor, I have more connections in the crime world than you can imagine, just a warning, you'd do well to leave and never come before me again" she said dangerously as Sousuke did not reply but some tears fell to the floor.

* * *

"Sit down Sakura Haruno," ordered Akane as Sakura hesitantly looked around the room.

No being sure where to sit Sakura placed herself lightly on the edge of the bed in Akane's room.

"As you know you are now a member of the Akatsuki, the Leader has requested that I give you lessons of chakra modulation which is very similar to the fragile chakra control needed as a prime requirement for a medical ninja, however personally I fail to see how the chakra modulation will help you in any way, still, I am nobody to argue with the Leader so I will be teaching you anyways" said Akane in a voice that clearly said 'authority'.

Sakura gave a tiny nod and averted her eyes.

"Chakra modulation in simple terms simply means molding your chakra to form a particular shape that may be useful in battle, for example my fluid which is nothing but the mixture of the two main chakra types, if you prove to be extremely efficient in using chakra modulation techniques like me then you can control your chakra as a living embodiment and have it perform offensive, defensive, supplementary battle moves which are highly useful in battle" said Akane.

"How can we make chakra into fluid?" asked Sakura after a short pause.

"It doesn't have to be a fluid, you can shape your chakra into any form you like, I prefer using my fluid because it's a better way for killing through internal organs, a technique which I rather prefer" said Akane enjoying Sakura's rather sick look.

"Okay enough of jabbering now, let's get down to business" said Akane.

She took out a fairly large box from a cupboard and opened it. Inside, glittering in the sunlight were many small, glass balls.

She took one out and placed it on the palm of her hand. Then the ball began floating above her hand on its own.

"I'm sure you can guess what I'm doing, this ball is made of extremely delicate glass, if your charka control is not near to perfect then the ball will shatter, if it is perfect then you'll be able to manipulate the ball in whichever direction you like, till whatever distance you can go up to" said Akane.

"So if that stands for your fluid as well if someone goes out of its range then…"

"They're safe, but you see I don't let them get out of my range, usually very few people realize the second option they have, for example Kakashi Hatake when I first met your team, he panicked at that moment and took the easy way out to just cut off his arm" said Akane.

Sakura winced at the memory but she began realizing what Akane was trying to tell her.

"But I can't mold chakra like you can so this training is useful for me" said Sakura.

"I'm not teaching you how to mold chakra you dimwit, my orders are to improvise your chakra control" said Akane.

Sakura sat back feeling very insulted, everything she prided herself on, her medical ninjutsu, her taijutsu was being insulted and improvised, was she so weak indeed?

"Now get that sulky look off your face and take this ball, if you can hover it over your hand for…"

"Hey bitch, are you in there, hm?" came a voice as Deidara kicked down Akane's door and strode into the room.

"Stop right there you barbarian, what the hell do you want?" asked Akane visibly annoyed at having her door kicked down.

"Leader's looking for ya, you and this piece of bubble gum here, hm" said Deidara as Sakura glared at him.

"Splendid, he tells me to teach her and when I try to do just that he sends this mammoth after me" she thought mutinously as she got up and looked over her shoulder.

"We'll resume our training after we hear what the Leader has to say, come with me" she said pushing Deidara out of the room and after Sakura stepped out she placed a paper tag over the threshold of her door.

"What're you doing that for, hm?" asked Deidara curiously.

"Just a safety precaution" said Akane rising and walking off with her head held high.

"Boy, that bitch would make even Lucifer turn away in shame, hm" said Deidara in a low tone as he walked off in the opposite direction as Sakura gave a small giggle and ran after Akane.

"Reports of our lesser bases being invaded have been cropping up too many times, I'm already furious and now I'm going to take strong action against it" said the Leader in his usual voice that sounded anything but furious.

"We've sent Sasori on ahead to a base in the Village of Stars which was very recently invaded, the safe was broken into and several of our documents are missing" said Konan.

"_Boy, Kakuzu's going to have a heart failure"_ thought Akane.

"We have certain reasons to suspect the involvement of a group that goes by the name Taka, I believe both of you are familiar with them?" said the Leader as Sakura's back froze.

"Uchiha Sasuke, eh? Why would you suspect him?" asked Akane.

"The documents that have gone missing mostly involve mission reports from all the members, the only ones that went missing were the ones belonging to Itachi and Kisame, also two men fitting the description of two members of Taka were spotted outside the Village of Stars by some of our associates" said Konan watching Sakura carefully.

"I see, so what are we to do? If it's tracking him down then I'm not the best person for that job" said Akane.

"There's no need to track them down, Sasori has located them, but he's in a rather poor condition now as he was spotted by Uchiha and got into a fight with him and isn't in the best condition to fight all four of them at once" said the Leader.

"_Sasori is hurt, damn that Uchiha bastard, I'll rip his guts out and stuff it up his bloated head"_ thought Akane as Konan continued.

"You are to go to him, we are sending Haruno with you because she might be of assistance to you being the one who knows Sasuke very well, also she is in charge of healing Sasori back to health, Akane, you're job is simple, if you find Uchiha Sasuke, capture him or knock him unconscious and bring him back to the main base at Amegakure, if you find any of his comrades, kill them" said Konan.

"Understood" said Akane impatiently as Sakura gave a tiny nod.

"You are not yet an official member of Akatsuki Sakura Haruno, this mission will be a perfect test as to whether you should join us or not, if you show any sign of betrayal then you will be killed, if you are unable to stop Uchiha then it clearly shows you're incompetent, if you can successfully complete this mission you are worthy of becoming a member of Akatsuki" said Pain with his ringed eyes glaring at Sakura who tried to stare back at him but lowered her gaze after a few moments.

"Akane, you are not to kill Sasuke under any circumstances, if he proves too much you have permission to retreat but Sasuke Uchiha must not die at your hands is that clear?" asked Konan.

"Yeah fine, can we leave now?" asked Akane.

"Go, and do not fail, Sakura Haruno, you will receive your ring when you return,_ if_ you return that is" said Pain as the door closed with a slam.

The door opened again after a few minutes and Akane stepped in.

"Now what's the real mission?" she asked quietly.

Konan gaped at her, "I didn't think you'd pick it up so quickly"

"Please as if somebody as pathetic as Sasuke Uchiha or his flunkies could ever put Sasori in the condition you said he was in, there's obviously something you're hiding from me" said Akane.

"Takigawa-San, we have forced Sakura Haruno into the Akatsuki for reasons more than just obtaining a skilled medical ninja, I have already informed Itachi, Zetsu, Kakuzu and Sasori about this and I think you should be knowing about it too, this involves the kyuubi of course…"

* * *

Naruto glared at Tsunade and Shizune who stood towering above him while he lay in a crumpled form at their feet.

"Naruto, over the years I have always protected you from the Elders, if it were left up to them then you wouldn't have been allowed to step out of the Village, yet I have argued and argued with them to the point of them wanting to remove me as Hokage, and after all that you repay me by sneaking out of the village?" asked Tsunade angrily.

"So what do you want me to do? Sit here while Akatsuki has Sakura and Orochimaru has Sasuke?" asked Naruto bitterly.

"Damn it you fool, what do you think you can do? Fight Orochimaru and Sasuke? Have you forgotten that Sasuke has already killed Orochimaru? There is nothing keeping him from returning to the Village except his hatred for Itachi which will not diminish by even the greatest act of kindness or friendship" cried Tsunade, "And about Sakura? What do you think you can do? Go waltzing into ach and every Akatsuki base, find her like very easily and then return with her from under the noses of the greatest and strongest criminals of the Shinobi world?"

"I have to do something! They're my friends I can't leave them in the clutches of the likes of Akatsuki, Sakura-Chan is like your daughter Granny, don't you feel like rescuing her? Don't you feel terrified of what those bastards might do to her?" cried Naruto.

"Oh so you think I'm having a gala time sitting up here and drinking tea and sake do you? Well you're wrong, I feel like a part of me is screaming to just drop everything and rush off to Sakura's rescue but that's not how things are done, there is a certain rule that we have to follow as ninjas, if we do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted then the whole system of having villages, having a Hokage, having Elders and Anbu everything is pointless" said Tsunade.

Naruto didn't say anything but his body began quivering with repressed emotions.

"Naruto-Kun, please listen to us for now, I promise when we launch a rescue mission for Sakura then you'll be informed, trust us please?" asked Shizune feeling sorry for the fallen jinchuriki.

Tsunade turned away with a swish of her coat, "Send him to the hospital, Naruto you have broken my trust in you, Shizune keep three tracker Anbu posted near him at all times, he isn't allowed to leave the Hospital until I permit it do you get that?" asked Tsunade and walked off as Shizune nodded.

As she walked into her office and collapsed on her chair Jiraiya jumped in through the window and stared sympathetically at her.

"That's one big bag of trouble you trained there" muttered Tsunade.

"Don't I know it, but don't worry Tsunade, I'll keep a watch on Naruto for you, trust me he won't be stepping out of the Hospital till you let him" said Jiraiya patting her on the back.

"Thanks, with all that's going on I don't think I could manage Naruto and the Elders breathing fire at me" said Tsunade still not raising her head as the sun set over the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

* * *

My exams are still going on but I had two days study leave so I decided to take a break and write this chapter. I won't update very soon so please don't ask me to. I'm trying my best here.


	26. The Simple Plan

Hi everybody. It's been a looonnnggg time, my exams are finally over and finally I'm back with another chapter of 'The Reason for Existing". Umm…. So I don't know what else to say so kindly read and review!

* * *

Sakura walked uncomfortably in her plain black cloak. The Leader had refused to give her a proper cloak until her initiation ceremony as complete.

They were currently passing through the Land of Water and the particular village was named 'The Village of Tundra' as no vegetation except tundra grew there due to the extremely low temperature.

"Are you feeling cold?" asked Akane who herself was wrapped in the warm Akatsuki cloak and hat.

"Umm, yeah, a little" said Sakura feeling surprised that the rude woman would bother to enquire.

"Great, I couldn't care less" said Akane turning away again as Sakura glared at her.

"**Damn that bitch, who does she think she is? I'll rip her skin off and stuff it up her non-existent ass"** cried Inner Sakura.

Just then Akane stopped walking as Sakura looked in front of her.

Three, large, muscular men had surrounded two females between them. One of the women appeared to be pregnant and the second was trying to shield her from the men.

"Get away you beasts, get away from my mother," cried the smaller girl who threw a kunai at one of the men who merely caught it in his hand and crushed it.

"Ouch, ohhh too bad, was that your best shot baby? Awwww" crooned the man as the other two laughed and they closed in on the two women.

Akane stared walking again but Sakura began running towards the two women.

Suddenly she found chains wrapped all around her as Akane casually passed the scene ignoring the two women's cries for help.

"What're you doing? We have to help them. Let me go" cried Sakura.

"No we don't" replied Akane indifferently.

"How can you just stand there watching that? Please let me go, I promise I won't run" cried Sakura struggling as the chains tightened around her.

"Quiet, you fool, if you'd calm down and notice the threat is gone" said Akane coldly as Sakura stared at the two women who were now staring in horror at the corpse of the three men.

Sakura turned to Akane in wonder, "Did you…?" she asked.

"Did I what?" asked Akane irritably.

Sakura shook her head, "Never mind"

As they walked on Sakura heard her mutter, "There's just too many sexually frustrated guys these days"

They walked on in silence for the rest of the journey till they arrived at the Village Hidden in the Stars.

Akane summoned an eagle and let it fly in the air until a kunai flew from earth and struck it right in the heart.

"Let's go" said Akane as Sakura muttered a short prayer of apology to the eagle.

They arrived at a clearing where the dead body of the eagle lay. A large tree was visible in the clearing. Akane walked up to it and pressed her palm on the bark.

Immediately a door appeared on the tree which swung open backwards.

"After you" said Akane holding the door open as Sakura hesitatingly entered through the tiny door.

She found herself in a small room with absolutely no furniture, no windows and no openings anywhere.

Akane came in after her and looked around, "Hmm, according to Konan the opening should be somewhere…here" she said as she took out a kunai and struck at a random spot on the wall.

Immediately a trapdoor fell open near Sakura.

"Once again after you" said Akane pointing down the door.

Sakura looked a bit worried and slowly began walking towards the trapdoor before she found herself being pushed forwards and falling through a long hole.

She fell with a bump on her hips and got up rubbing it tenderly as Akane landed pretty much in the same way she did.

"You never get used to landing properly do you?" asked Sasori quietly from the back of the room.

"Yeah well so sue me" retaliated Akane indignantly.

Sasori gave a tiny smile before turning to Sakura and gesturing towards a chair which looked so old that it seemed if a leaf settled on it, it would crumble into pieces.

Nevertheless it held Sakura though it groaned and creaked dangerously as she lightly settled herself on it.

"I believe the Leader has told you about the mission?" asked Sasori with a side long glance at Akane who gave a curt nod.

He looked at Sakura who nodded as well.

"I'd like to impress upon both of you a few things, you two are the newest members of Akatsuki, do not think you can go about doing as you please, I am the Leader of this mission and you will do as I tell you, am I understood?" asked Sasori.

"Cut to the chase will you?" said Akane as Sasori glared at her.

"I think you've been told that I need healing Sakura Haruno, but you can see clearly that I need none, this is due to the fact that I already got myself healed from a woman in the village nearby, and I also got a very important piece of information from her before I killed her" said Sasori as Sakura turned away in disgust.

"Apparently three of Sasuke Uchiha's comrades have been enquiring about the whereabouts of Kisame and Itachi, and a minor crime lord who had employed us in the past informed them of this base which as you can see they ravaged" said Sasori gesturing to the burnt walls, upturned tables and broken cabinets.

"Our mission is simple, capture Sasuke Uchiha and his comrades, this is due to two reasons, firstly Uchiha's conflicts with the Kyuubi jinchuriki could lead to some trouble, we do not want that jinchuriki dead at any cost, at least not until we've used him" said Sasori carefully watching Sakura.

"That's ridiculous, Naruto would never get himself killed no matter what, and hold on… you mean to tell me we're doing this mission to protect Naruto?" asked Sakura incredulously.

"Till we can lay our hands on him, also there is another reason" said Sasori looking at Akane who gave him a smirk.

"We needn't go into that right now, basically our plan will be very simple" said Sasori calmly.

"Ah, how I love simple plans" said Akane smiling wickedly at Sakura who stared at her in apprehensiveness.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha had never been so annoyed in his entire life. Though his face retained its usual indifferent, cold demeanor his mind was going crazy hearing the insults Karin and Suigetsu were throwing at each other. Notwithstanding the fact that they both had hopelessly failed in their mission to locate an Akatsuki base coupled with the fact that Juugo had not yet returned to calm them down, Sasuke was _not_ feeling good at that point.

"You want a piece of me you snobbish, dimwit, piece of dog shit?" cried Karin.

"Not one I'd like several pieces of you, all cut up and arranged on a cremation ground" retorted Suigetsu before quickly dodging as Karin aimed a kunai at his head.

"You're the most annoying, stupid, slob ever, I don't know for heaven's sake why Sasuke you keep you in Taka" cried Karin throwing whatever she could find at the white-haired boy.

"Shows he's got some brains doesn't he? If it were left up to you then we'd have been killed before even beginning our mission" cried Suigetsu as his head exploded into water due to Karin's well aimed throw of a clock.

"Damn you, I just wish you'd…"

"Silence, Karin, Suigetsu" cried Sasuke not being able to cope with it for long.

The two of them turned to look at the fuming Uchiha who glared menacingly at them.

"I don't care if you've got differences but if you can't get along then go somewhere else and fight and don't eat my head" said Sasuke.

"But Sasuke he started it, I was just minding my own…"

"Yeah right, you always have to lay the blame on someone else don't you? Silly little sissy. You're so useless that it's almost laughable and you're of no use to Taka either, it should be you who should be kicked out" said Suigetsu as Karin for once did not retort.

The sunlight caught on her spectacle frames as they disappeared under her red bangs.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked quietly.

"Of course I do you half-wit, lets see let me count the times you actually killed and knocked an enemy unconscious on your own, hmm, nope, can't seem to recall anything, oh yeah, even when we went to recruit you didn't you get your cronies to…"

Suigetsu couldn't complete as Karin got up and slapped him hard across the cheek. For once his head did not explode into water but his cheek turned red from the slap.

"I'll go see what Juugo is up to" she said quietly before walking to the door.

Sasuke stared after her and could swear she muttered on terms of 'You damn idiot' under her breath as she slammed the door shut.

Suigetsu was staring at the door to with a hand lightly touching his cheek. He turned to Sasuke with a clueless look, "Was it something I said?" he asked as Sasuke sighed.

* * *

Karin walked through the town trying to bite back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

Usually an argument with Suigetsu would be like getting up in the morning and opening your eyes, it just would happen. Usually those arguments would leave her more energized than before. But the things Suigetsu had said today had etched themselves deep in her mind.

"_He's not completely wrong, I can't do anything constructive for Taka except heal or sense, I've never aided in any assassination nor can I gather intel very well"_ she thought as someone bumped into her causing her glasses to fall off.

As she stooped to pick them up a shadow was cast over her.

"Karin? What are you doing here? I thought you finished gathering intel" said Juugo as Karin stood up to face him.

"I...I just thought I'd go for a walk, it gets stuffy in there breathing the same air as Suigetsu all the time you know" said Karin in a false cheery voice.

Juugo was a perceptive man and could clearly see she was very upset about something. He saw a cream bun stall and pulled her over to it.

"Why don't we buy some? I know you like them, Sasuke does too" said Juugo kindly as Karin gave him a watery smile.

"Good day Ma'am, would you like our delicious cream buns? Or perhaps you would prefer those cakes over there?" asked the cheery shopkeeper beaming brightly at them.

"A packet of those buns please" said Juugo.

"Right away sir" said the shopkeeper scurrying inside the bakery to fetch a fresh batch from the oven.

"Juugo, can I ask you something?" asked Karin.

"What is it?"

"Do you think I'm useless to the Taka? Am I a burden to you and Sasuke and…Suigetsu?" asked Karin.

"Did you quarrel with him?" asked Juugo knowingly.

"Is it that obvious?" asked Karin as the orange haired man nodded.

"But don't you two always quarrel? It's nothing strange for Suigetsu to insult you, nor is it for you to insult him" said Juugo.

"Yeah but, this time I can't help feeling that he's not completely wrong" said Karin as the shopkeeper came back and handed them a warm package.

"Here you are sir, that'll be 200 Ryo" said the woman still smiling as Juugo dug around in his pockets.

"Drat, I seemed to have dropped my money somewhere" he said as Karin giggled and reached into her purse and took out 200 Ryo before dropping them in the shopkeeper's outstretched hand.

Karin turned to leave but found the shopkeeper holding her hand in a tight grip.

"Excuse me? Can you please let me go" said Karin sharply as the woman pulled her closer.

She whispered into her ear, "Oh yes of course I can but I won't just yet, listen I do hope you'll enjoy the cream buns my dear"

"Y-yes thank you now let me go" cried Karin struggling as Juugo stepped between them and forcefully separated Karin's hand from the woman's.

"Oh dear, dear, I seem to have made the young man rather angry ne?" asked the woman still smiling her bright smile which now appeared rather menacing.

Suddenly the woman's arm exploded and a greenish jelly like substance enveloped Juugo's entire arm.

"Hey…what the hell is this" he cried as it began wrapping itself around his throat as Karin stood watching in horror.

The rest of the woman began melting away like jelly and turned into a puddle on the floor from which a head came out.

"Just remember don't eat the cream buns in rainy weather, you might just spoil them" she said as the fluid completely enveloped Juugo whose curse seal began activating.

The head began rising and soon an entire body rose out of the puddle.

Karin's eyes widened in horror, "Akatsuki" she said backing away.

"Greetings tomato-top, you must be the sensory ninja from Uchiha's little group" said Akane walking towards Karin who suddenly took out a smoke bomb and threw it at Akane.

Taking advantage of the diversion she ran out as she noticed all the people who had been standing there a few minutes ago had disappeared.

"_A genjutsu? On the entire village? They cast a genjutsu over the whole village to make it seem normal, such power, it's…"_

Suddenly a figure landed before her and the ground cracked into many pieces. Karin jumped up to avoid being crushed, and she somersaulted and landed on the roof of a building.

Immediately the roof turned into jelly and gave way.

Karin realized what had happened and watching Juugo a few minutes ago she jumped again before the jelly could touch her.

When the smoke cleared Karin turned and saw two figures though only one was wearing the Akatsuki uniform.

"Get back or I'll have to harm you" said Karin gripping her kunai hard.

"Smoke bombs. Empty threats. Tsk, tsk, whatever processed you to use such cheap tricks against a member of the Akatsuki?" asked Akane as she took a step towards Karin.

* * *

Well that's it for this chapter. Stay tuned to find out what happens to Karin and Juugo. Where is Sasori? What is this simple plan? You'll have to read to find out. And don't forget to review!


	27. Suigetsu vs Akane

Hiya guys and welcome back to 'The Reason for Existing'. Firstly I'd like to thank all those who have reviewed to the last chapter. Thanks guys! Your support is what fuels me!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS, I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

* * *

Sasuke's eyes shot open from his meditating session as he felt enormous chakra in the village. Grabbing his katana he got up and headed for the door.

Suigetsu who was sprawled on the floor, picking his teeth looked up as Sasuke crossed the room.

"What's the matter?" he asked curiously.

"Better get up from there and get your sword ready. We've got some interesting company with us in this village" said Sasuke running out of the door as Suigetsu felt a sudden flare of an unknown chakra.

Meanwhile Akane was having an entertaining time watching Karin and Sakura fight each other and seeing their looks of determination.

"_Such weaklings, I could destroy both of them right now and pass it off as an accident, but then again Sasori-San is harder to fool than the rest of them"_ she thought as Juugo's body gave a sudden shudder.

"_Hmm, he's gaining consciousness already? The boy's stamina is commendable. Even his curse seal is slightly different than everybody else's, I wonder why?"_ she thought as a wave of dust hit her face as Sakura landed a drop kick on Karin.

"Hey watch where you're flailing those limbs of yours pinkie-top" cried Akane heaving and coughing.

Karin took out a smoke bomb and threw it at Sakura leaving the pinkette in smoke.

"Die!" cried Karin as she appeared above Sakura using her sensory skills and stabbed her through the back.

Sakura landed with a thud on the ground and struggled to get up as Karin landed gracefully in front of her and held up a large katana.

The red head swung the sword and there was a great clang of metal.

Sakura and Karin looked on in surprise as the Kubikiribocho taken from Zabuza's grave by Suigetsu clashed with a thin sword held by Akane.

"Ah yes, I was wondering when Crony No. 3 would show up. Making the hero entrance to save the damsel in distress are we?" asked Akane sneering at the white haired boy who glared at her.

Suddenly the sword held by Akane cracked and broke into two pieces and immediately she swung around and kicked Suigetsu hard in the stomach but he became water and her leg simply passed through him.

Suigetsu's arm enlarged in size and became more muscular as he slashed at Akane with the sword. Not having time to turn herself to fluid she grabbed the broad sides of the of sword with both her hands and pushed back as Suigetsu easily picked up the sword with her weight added to it and flung her away from him and Karin.

Being tossed into the air Akane quickly performed some hand seals. Suddenly light surrounded Akane and emerged from her body in the form of a blinding wave.

To his shock he saw the same light enveloping him and it was connected to Akane by a stream of lightning release chakra.

The glare of the jutsu was too much to be viewed and despite closing his eyes shut Suigetsu found them watering. As the glare subsided a little and he felt no harm come on him he opened his eyes. As he did so he saw Akane appearing over Karin and stabbing the girl from the back.

Everything went dark for Suigetsu as anger ran free over his body. He clutched his sword so tightly that it was in fear of breaking. And at that moment, he noticed a huge slash on his own chest.

"You…you…used some genjutsu, but how…I sensed lightning release chakra from you" said Suigetsu as he fell on his knee clutching his chest.

Akane who was sitting on the ledge of a half-destroyed building grinned at him, "That's right; it's a very useful technique it allows me to use genjutsu with lightning release chakra and bind it with my enemy, then I use a secondary genjutsu to cast the illusion of my choice which can cause the victim to be distracted for a few moments leaving them open for a direct attack"

Suigetsu slammed his sword to the ground and tried getting up holding it as support but Akane threw a kunai at his shoulder causing him to fall to the ground again.

"Tough luck buddy" she said when suddenly Suigetsu suddenly disappeared and appeared behind Akane and slammed the sword in such a way that the curved niche pinned Akane to the wall of the building by her neck.

"But how…that's impossible" she choked as Suigetsu smirked.

"I don't believe you did your homework before coming to battle me. My hydration technique allows me to liquefy and reform my body at will" he said.

Understanding dawned upon Akane as she realized she had grossly underestimated the white-haired, sword wielding Crony No. 3.

"So you guessed it was a genjutsu and liquefied yourself so that my physical attack had no effect and then while I was casting the second genjutsu you very cleverly cut yourself to give the appearance that I had cut you" said Akane.

"Correct, though the cut I made was a minor one I pretended that it was actually a direct hit taken from a member of Akatsuki" said Suigetsu puffing out his chest proudly.

"Very clever, but tell me, do you really think you've defeated me?" asked Akane as the blade pressed in more forming a cut along her neck.

"I like savoring my victim's despair before I assassinate them," stated Suigetsu as Akane smiled.

"And so do I" she said as she turned into jelly and sank into the wall behind her.

Suigetsu stared in shock as she disappeared through the wall and then shot upward to take on her own form again as she smirked at the dumbstruck boy.

"The Hydration technique. Do you think I'm some kind of ignorant nincompoop? I'm well aware of what it does. Though I wasn't expecting you to be smart enough to dodge my illusion _that_ well it still makes no difference. Our powers are on a completely different level" she said.

"You can liquefy too?" asked Suigetsu still dumbstruck.

"Not completely, what I turn into is not water but a fluid, a mixture of gas and liquid, I can do this at will as well just like the Hydration Technique and it also allows me to do...this" said Akane charging towards Suigetsu who performed hand signs, "Water Release…"

Before he could complete the jutsu a blob of jelly slithered up his leg and began to envelop him.

Quickly liquefying himself he escaped the devastating effect of the fluid but to his shock he found it mixed with his liquid and he found himself solidifying.

"Ah did I forget to tell you? My fluid can mix with your water, and since my chakra levels are more superior to yours I can solidify the fluid in turn causing your water to partially solidify as well" said Akane as she swung in for a physical hit.

Suigetsu grabbed hit sword and used it in defense. Akane used the sword as a foothold and propelled herself backwards as two more blobs of fluid shot out of her and moved towards Suigetsu.

"_Okay, my hydration technique is useless against her, so I've only got my Kenjutsu left"_ thought Suigetsu as he jumped to avoid the blobs and ran towards Akane.

Crying out loud he swung his sword at Akane who dodged but to her surprise he simply dropped the sword on her head using the hole in it and then using a combination of his enlarged arm and excellent sword fighting skills he maneuvered the sword so that Akane was once again pressed up against a wall and this time Suigetsu wasted no time in taking out a kunai.

"You're finished" he cried as he took out the kunai and tried to stab her heart but a barrier formed between them and blew him away. Immediately the two blobs from before grabbing both his arms and pinned him to the wall. The Kubikiribocho fell to the ground with a clang.

"Well, well, it seems the tables have turned" said Akane smiling at the boy who struggled to escape.

"It's no use, nothing can escape my fluid unless I wish it to, stop twisting or you'll probably dislocate your shoulder or something" said Akane.

Suigetsu glared at her and suddenly opened his mouth wide and small bubbles emerged from it.

"What is this?" cried Akane as the bubbles surrounded her.

Before she could further react all the bubbles closed in on her and merged, causing her to be trapped in a large bubble-like cage.

Water filled the bubble and Akane found herself unable to breathe. Suigetsu smirked as she tried to break through the bubble but as soon as her hand poked out the bubble surrounded it and grew smaller.

"I thought it was time you had a taste of your own medicine" said Suigetsu.

"_Damn the little brat, I've had enough playing around with him"_ thought Akane as she quickly performed hand signs.

Suigetsu was shocked to see her being able to move inside and even more shocked when she opened her mouth wide and a spear made of pure lightning chakra emerged and pierced through the bubble, it shot towards Suigetsu whose eyes widened in horror. It pierced through his stomach; it pierced through the wall and all the other buildings behind it before exploding some distance away.

Immediately the bubble fell away leaving Akane gasping for breath. She got up very fast and then walked to where Suigetsu was still suspended on the wall.

"Your skills are good boy, but you're still too weak, and with such a meager arsenal of skills you won't go very far" she said coldly.

"H-how d-did you escape my prison?" he asked quietly not having the energy to speak properly.

"I simply turned my self into fluid when your bubbles converged on me which allowed me to use my hand signs at least if no breathe properly, then my Lightning Release: False Darkness pierced through you and the technique was deactivated, I'm surprised you're still alive though, I must have missed a vital point due to the water" said Akane as she picked up the Kucikiribocho.

"Don't touch that!" said Suigetsu angrily as he coughed up blood.

"This sword is pretty heavy, and it's famous too, this'll sell for a massive amount on the black market, you don't mind if I take it do you? Actually I don't give a damn if you do mind so goodbye for now" she said turning and then suddenly Karin appeared in front of her with a kunai.

Easily dodging the girl she grabbed her by the legs and swung her around so her head hit the wall and she sank unconscious to the ground beside Suigetsu who also fell to the ground as the fluid released him and joined up with Akane again.

Looking at Karin she suddenly remembered something, "Where's that pinkie-top, she wouldn't be defeated by this red-head here, so…awwwww don't tell me she ran for it, Sasori-San will be furious" groaned Akane as she summoned an eagle and sent it to soar the skies and after that she raised her arm parallel to her shoulders and threw four blobs of liquid which she molded to look like the people she had seen Sakura with, namely: Kakashi, Naruto, Sai and Yamato.

"_My fluid won't fail me, but the thing is I hope she's still alive, the Leader will be most displeased if she isn't"_ thought Akane when a huge blue lightning on the other end of the village caught her attention and she ran towards it.

* * *

In a bar far away from where Akane was fighting a woman of thirty was sitting fiddling with her drink as the bartender gave her a sympathetic look.

"No customers today?" he asked as she nodded.

"Do you think I'm growing fat? Or maybe I've grown a zit somewhere. Am I getting uglier?" asked the woman as the bartender smiled and shook his head.

"No, you're just as lovely as ever, but I'm glad that those men stay away from you," he said quietly.

"What're you saying Koutaro, they're my customers, they pay me for my services" said the woman as she took a little sip of her drink.

"A beautiful young woman like yourself shouldn't involve yourself in such services at all, why don't you quit this kind of job, I told you I'd find a job for you" said the man called Koutaro.

"And where do you think a woman like me can find a job? All those civilians probably hate me, I bet even you just talk to me out of obligation" said the woman.

"Now, now, don't go making assumptions, I talk to you because I want to, I'm not like those men who are customers for a night who sleep with you and leave you alone in the morning with nothing but your clothes and a wad of money, no I want to be more than that, I want to be your friend…if you would allow it" he said smiling a little.

"Aww, you're such a cutie Koutaro, thanks" said the woman as her eyes became melancholic and she sipped her drink again.

"Okay it's eleven now so that means the bar is officially closed" he announced to the few people who were still drinking, they grumbled and complained and in fifteen minutes they had all left excepting the woman.

"Hey, come on, stop drinking now, you've had five pegs already" said Koutaro coming out from behind the bar, hanging his apron on a hook and shaking the woman lightly.

The woman got up and swayed a little before she was caught by the man.

"I don't think you really should go home alone today, it's much later than usual and you're drunk silly" said Koutaro.

"Mmm, I don't really want to go home, the man I had last night smelled like cow dung cake and his stench simply refuses to leave the room" said the woman trying to walk and suddenly clutching a chair for support.

"Well maybe you better come over to my house then" said Koutaro blushing a little.

"Ehhh? Oh you want to bring a young, vulnerable and pretty woman to your house this late at night, you shameless baby" drawled the woman seductively as the man blushed more.

"Oh, sorry…I only meant if you were fine with…never mind I'll drop you to your house" he said reaching for the door.

"Aww come on I was only joking, lets go to your house, you've still got those cookies your neighbor makes right?" asked the woman hugging Koutaro.

He laughed and then supported her outside the bar which he locked, "Yes, yes, don't worry, she even sent a separate packet for you, I just forgot to bring it today"

"She did? Oh yipee, I can't wait to devour those! Kyoko-San is such a nice lady" said the woman as she began swinging and swaying while she walked.

Koutaro hurriedly went to support her but to his shock he saw she had collapsed on the ground.

"Did you hurt yourself somewhere?" he asked as he gently picked her up and she smiled lightly.

Kneeling down he beckoned to her, "I'll carry you, don't walk anymore, your heels are broken anyways" he said as the woman placed herself on him and he got up carrying her in piggy backed style.

"Hey watch where you place your hand okay?" ordered the woman as Koutaro blushed more and shifted slightly.

"Sorry" he replied as the woman laughed and placed her arms around Koutaro's neck.

"You're such a nice guy Kou, sometimes…I…just …" before she could finish she fell asleep with her head lightly resting against Koutaro's back.

Seeing the sleeping woman the young man smiled to himself, "Sleep well…Atsuko"

* * *

Thanks for reading this chapter. Now if you would review that would make me very happy. Tune in for the next chapter to see the Scorpion vs. the Younger Uchiha. Bye~nee.


	28. The Scorpion vs The Hawk

Hi guys. My thanks to the guys who reviewed to for the previous chapter. Here is the 28th chapter of my story officially making it the longest story I have written so far. Please review!

* * *

Sasuke ran out of the room leaving Suigetsu staring at him. He gripped his katana tightly wondering if the one he seeked was amongst the two present.

He kept running through the streets towards the flaring chakra when a paper bomb attached to a kunai landed before him and exploded just as he dodged it.

As he somersaulted in the air hundreds of kunai with bombs on them shot at him from every direction. Due to the fact that he was in the air he couldn't dodge it.

Sasuke turned and countered all the kunai by spinning and using his Chidori Senbon and deflected the bombs which slowly fell to the ground and exploded like a mine field below him.

Landing on the roof of a building he glared at no one in particular.

"Why don't you quit hiding in the shadows and come out and face me coward, or perhaps you're a little bit afraid of the consequences, Akatsuki-trash" said Sasuke coldly.

"Hmm, it appears Akane was correct, you people do need to be more innovative with your insults, frankly I'm tired of hearing scum, trash, dirt etc from almost everyone we meet" said a male voice resonating all around Sasuke.

"You're called what you are" stated Sasuke activating his sharingan.

"Is that so? Then what would I have to call you? A punk? Or perhaps a ninny?" asked the voice as Sasuke suddenly turned and slammed his Sword of Kusanagi into the ground to channel his Chidori chakra in every direction possible.

"Impressive, it seems three years of training with Orochimaru has not gone to waste, I would be upset to think my former partner had wasted his life on somebody unworthy" said the voice as Sasuke's eyes widened.

"_Orochimaru's former partner? Then does that mean Orochimaru was in Akatsuki too? Who could this guy be"_ he thought when suddenly he caught sight of a young man standing on a thin pillar regarding him most curiously.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I've grown tired of waiting for you over here, I even had to have Akane flare her chakra to get you out of your hen coop" said Sasori.

"I knew it, you are from the Akatsuki aren't you?" said Sasuke as he charged towards Sasori but before he could reach him a one eyed, troll-like creature appeared in front of him and raised it's arm to reveal a gaping hole. From that hole flew thousands of sharp senbons.

Sasuke once again used the Chidori senbons to counter Sasori's senbons and when he stopped snipping to his shock he found himself tied up tightly with sharp, almost invisible strings.

Using Sasuke as a puppet Sasori used his troll-like puppet to raise its other arm and a huge extending sword emerged out of it, directly towards Sasuke's heart.

Just then the sword of kusanagi which had fallen to the ground flew up on its own and struck the extended blade with a loud clang.

Sasori's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Hmm, who would have thought you could control things with strings too" he said as the sun caught on the filament strings being controlled by Sasuke from the very tip of his fingers.

The puppet retracted its extendable blade but before anything else could happen it raised both hands.

"You countered my thousand senbons, you countered my extendable blade, now how will you counter them both when they hit you at the same time?" asked Sasori.

As the thousand senbons shot towards Sasuke with the extendable sword in the middle he activated his blaze release.

A spiked barrier formed between him and the deadly weapons of Sasori's puppet. From behind the barrier a bird made of the black flames resembling those of amaterasu emerged and pierced the puppet and burnt it into ashes before flying towards Sasori.

Immediately another puppet emerged in front of Sasuke. It resembled a thin, bipedal creature with four eyes and a circular mouth with jagged teeth in the middle.

From the mouth a grey, ash like substance began to flow.

Immediately it shaped itself into a triangular prism and surrounded Sasori. As the flame bird hit Sasori Sasuke found to his shock that it couldn't burn the strange sand-like substance and soon extinguished.

Meanwhile more of the sand appeared over Sasuke and formed into a giant hammer.

"Lets play a little game of Whack-A-Pest shall we?" asked Sasori smirking as he brought down the hammer hard upon Sasuke who dodged it but found a spear made of the same substance piercing through his left thigh.

"_This thing, what is it? Is it sand?" _thought Sasuke as he kept dodging the hit of the giant hammer which exploded into a sandy wave whenever it struck the ground but reformed immediately and hovered menacingly over Sasuke's head before striking again.

"Wondering what it is, are you? I'll enlighten you but not right now, it's too amusing seeing you keep flopping here and there trying to save your pathetic life" said Sasori.

Sasuke rolled on the ground and barely missed being shot at by another spear before the hammer came down at full speed and crushed his of his legs before he had the chance to roll away.

"_This isn't working, I can't dodge this guy on the ground"_ thought Sasuke as he activated his cursed seal and spread his wings as he took off into the sky.

"You think you can escape me if you switch to aerial combat?" scoffed Sasori.

Sasuke glared at the man when he felt a light pull on his sword. He saw another spear forming below him and quickly dodged it.

"_Why did it feel as if my sword was being pulled towards that spear? Could it me that it's made of some metal and the magnetism is attracting it?"_ thought Sasuke as he smiled a little.

Sasori formed ten smaller spears which all shot up towards Sasuke who effortlessly dodged them using his sharingan.

Lightning chakra began flowing through Sasuke as he cried out, "Chidori Current".

Electrical current flew from his body to every direction. It struck the ground all around Sasori who did not have time to form the prism and before he knew it the current had him paralyzed.

Passing chidori current through the Kusanagi sword Sasuke flew at Sasori with great speed.

As Sasuke neared Sasori a jet of water tore through the Akatsuki cloak from the chest area and hit Sasuke directly in the face causing him to move off track and hit the ground hard.

Sasuke got up wiping water away from his mouth, "Don't play childish tricks" he yelled at Sasori who smirked slightly despite the paralysis.

Now Sasuke attempted to stab Sasori from the back, this time flying in a zigzag manner so that Sasori's water projectile would not be able to shoot him.

But two holes tore in the Akatsuki uniform as burning hot flames emerged from them Sasori's back and Sasuke's left wing got partially burnt as he took to the sky again.

By this time Sasori's paralysis wore off and he sent a look of triumph and contempt at Sasuke who glared daggers at him.

"Childish tricks you say?" asked Sasori with his voice filled with malice, "No wonder you're in such a pathetic condition if these appear to be childish tricks to you"

Sasuke did hand signs very quickly and summoned hundreds of small snakes that slithered all over the ground towards Sasori and began covering him.

But quicker than they could cover him up the sandy substance surrounded him like a whirlwind and within minutes every one of those snakes lay sliced into pieces at the feet of the red-headed puppeteer.

"Pathetic" said Sasori before his eyes widened in shock when Sasuke suddenly appeared behind him and wrapped him up in many filament wires.

Doing hand signs Sasuke grabbed the strings, "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu" he cried as the multiple wires flared up with flames and conducted themselves to Sasori who could not shield himself on time and received the full impact of the jutsu.

Three puppets appeared around Sasori and shot water projectiles at him and as the fire extinguished itself Sasuke suddenly appeared with three large snakes that wrapped themselves around the three puppets and crushed them into pieces.

Sasuke punched Sasori right in the face and immediately used Hidden Shadow Snake Hands to poison the puppet-master who spat on the ground and retreated back to a distance.

"Hm, okay you're a little better than I gave you credit for" he said wiping his mouth when suddenly everything around him went black and he fell to the ground clutching his head.

"It's over, now that you've been poisoned by the snakes there's no way you'll survive" said Sasuke coldly as he turned away from Sasori.

As he walked away he heard Sasori laughing loudly and turned to see a puppet of a slim young woman with a familiar face appeared over Sasori and shot three senbons at Sasori which hit him on the back.

"_He…he hit himself with the senbons, is he trying to suicide?"_ thought Sasuke in shock as the body of Sasori lay dormant on the ground for a while before Sasuke heard laughter again.

Slowly Sasori got up and wiped blood from his face with his charred hand.

"Do you call that thing poison? Did you actually think you could take me down with ordinary snake venom? Did you think you could kill me? Akasuna no Sasori? Master Puppeteer and inventor of thousands of poisons and they're antidotes?" cried Sasori, rage swelling within him.

Sasuke stared in shock as a memory came back to him.

_FLASHBACK_

_Sasuke stood leaning against the door of Orochimaru's room. The Sannin sat on the bed heaving and coughing while Kabuto fussed around him with medicines, drugs and bandages._

"_Did you hear the news Master Orochimaru? Konoha apparently defeated a member of the Akatsuki yesterday" said Kabuto wiping blood away from Orochimaru's mouth._

_The snake-like man gave a short laugh, "Yes I heard, it must have been satisfying for you too Kabuto, after all Sasori was once your master wasn't he?" said Orochimaru._

"_He was indeed. It's good to hear that old creep is dead. One less for us to kill correct?" said Kabuto as Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke and licked his lips._

"_Correct"_

_END FLASHBACK_

"Akasuna no Sasori, but that's impossible, you're supposed to be dead" said Sasuke.

"Your memory isn't very good is it? We have met before" said Sasori as Sasuke remembered.

"_He's that puppeteer who saved that woman who I questioned about Itachi, I knew that chakra felt familiar, it's that woman, and this puppet"_ thought Sasuke looking at the puppet which still hovered over Sasori.

Sasori spat at the ground, " How dare you call this poison, no wonder your alive today merely by the will to kill Itachi, it's pathetic, you're living to end the life of someone else, and in that process you've destroyed several pieces of my art" said Sasori as he glanced at the broken pieces of his puppets.

Rage and anger gripped Sasuke as he saw Sasori's sneering face. It replaced itself with Itachi's cold glare and even colder voice.

"I will kill Itachi. There's nothing that can stop me from killing him. But first I will get you out of my way" said Sasuke with anger making his lightning chakra more sharp and deadly.

The sky around them became very dark and stormy.

"It's a good thing I used my dragon fire jutsu on you" said Sasuke as blue lighting flashed across the sky and formed a great explosion.

Suddenly a great bolt of blue lightning shaped like a ferocious dragon formed in the sky.

Sasori's eyes widened in shock as he saw the beast.

"What…is that?" he said not being able to say anything else.

"It's time to end this battle Akasuna no Sasori, once Kirin strikes out, there will be no more escaping in" said Sasuke as he began assimilating chakra in his arms.

The ash coloured sand swirled around Sasori as his eyes lost the shock and slight fear they held a few moments ago.

"Iron Sand Drizzle" he cried as the Kirin descended on him.

Pointing his hands upwards he began gathering sand together.

Just as the Kirin roared like thunder he released the sand like a bullet and it pierced the lighting but did no specific damage to it.

"Your sand will not be able to help you; you can't run because Kirin travels at 1/1000th of a second, you cannot block it because its destructive force is far too much, Kirin is unavoidable" said Sasuke.

Sasori ignored him and continued shooting bullets of Iron sand at the lightning.

"Finish him off!" cried Sasuke as thunder roared in the sky and the beast descended on the spot where Sasori stood and with an enormous explosion it ignited.

Sasuke closed his eyes as the light flashed across the area. He fell to the ground because using Kirin completely exhausted him of his chakra.

He looked up to the area where Kirin had struck. It was now a huge crater where an entire hidden village could fit in.

"That did it, but I'll have to find Karin as fast as possible, if I don't get myself healed soon I'll loose consciousness and goodness known who'll find me" thought Sasuke as he got up.

He turned but just then he heard a noise and turned around in shock.

A few huge rocks blasted off as a golden dome appeared exactly in the middle of the crater.

The dome sparkled and shone in the sunlight and had a tiny pole on the centre.

"W-what is that thing" said Sasuke as it shattered into many pieces with the sound of glass.

To the Uchiha's shock he saw Sasori standing practically unharmed and beside him stood the woman who he had saved on the last occasion.

"_Impossible, there's no shield that can be effective against Kirin, it's not possible"_ thought Sasuke as he remembered Sasori continuously shooting bullet of iron sand at Kirin.

"_Each grain of sand must have conducted some of Kirin's electricity thus lessening its destructive force a lot, and that must have enabled the woman to use that shield" _thought Sasuke as he cursed out loud and collapsed, unconscious.

"I must say that boy has great power, this is only the third time in my life I had to use the 6th Shield of An, and it would still have failed had you not weakened the lightning with your bullets" said Akane as she collapsed on the ground panting a little.

Sasori sent her a glance, "I felt you were coming here, I know of your skill with barrier art, I thought if I could weaken the beast enough for you to shield us then we'd get away, and I guess it worked" he said pulling Akane up and putting her arm around his shoulder as he supported her.

"I can walk by myself" said Akane blushing a little.

Sasori ignored her and they walked to where Sasuke had fallen.

"You're in a pretty bad state, while I have only lost a lot of chakra you've been burnt and poisoned too I think" said Akane before she caught sight of the puppet which had shot senbons at Sasori.

"Great god" said Akane forgetting that she was out of chakra and rushing over to the puppet and staring at it from head to toe.

"Explain yourself Sasori-San, why do you have a puppet that looks like me" accused Akane pointing at the puppet.

Sasori got up as he swung Sasuke over his shoulder and smiled slightly at Akane.

"That puppet is my angel, she carries all the antidotes to practically every poison of the Shinobi world, she is who I turn to when I get poisoned or hurt" he said softly before turning away leaving a rather flustered Akane behind him.

* * *

Well that's it for this chapter. I had originally planned on releasing this on Tuesday but I was so happy with your reviews that it fueled me to finish it today itself. I hope you like it. Please do review! Bye~nee.


	29. Sakura's Nemesis

Yipeeeeee! My story has finally reached 100 REVIEWS. Thank you all so much for reviewing so much. I'm so happy I could just jump off a roof…no wait on second thought I'll pass on that. Never mind, once again I thank everyone who reviewed from the bottom of my heart. Your support and interest are what helps an author to keep being one! I also thank those who read the story even if they didn't review and I hope in the future you'll like my story enough to review! Now on the 29th Chapter of "The Reason for Existing"!

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"She disappeared? Well I can't say I didn't expect that, the girl hasn't been properly broken yet" said Sasori thoughtfully as he and Akane walked through the village they had just destroyed.

"I've made arrangements to get her back but there's a 40% chance it may not succeed so it's better if I get her myself" said Akane.

"No, you're exhausted, I'll go get her" said Sasori.

"Look whose talking, your left arm is burnt, your chakra levels are lower than mine, you can't use your iron sand right now because the puppet you used as its vessel has been destroyed, you can't…"

"Enough! I get your point, but the end result is that we're both weakened drastically" said Sasori frowning.

"So why don't we do it together?" asked Akane as Sasori gave her a look of surprise.

"Jobs always tend to get done better and faster when you're doing it with a friend" said Akane giving him a smile and a thumbs-up.

Sasori turned away from her and gazed at the sinking sun for a moment before his lips curled upwards, "Do they? Then we most certainly must work as a team" he said quietly as Akane nodded.

They walked in silence till they heard the sound of birds fluttering away in the air, frightened by something in the denser part of the forest.

"Let's go" said Sasori as he increased his speed.

Akane who was dragging Sasuke by her chains found it a little tough to keep up so she hung back a little.

Suddenly a large boulder flew towards the duo.

"Look out!" cried Akane getting out of the path of the boulder.

Sasori who was much closer to the boulder could not completely dodge on time and his left hand was hit.

He dropped to the ground wincing a little as he held his left hand in the right and looked forward.

"Are you okay? Oh no, you're arm's been hit" said Akane gently taking Sasori's arm.

"It's no trouble, first you must find the source of that boulder, go, I'll catch up with you in a minute, leave Uchiha here" said Sasori.

"But you're hurt, I can't just…"

"I'm fine, trust me" said Sasori who gave a small smile before Akane sighed and stood up, "You'd better catch up in five minutes, I'm counting" she said as she leaped through the trees.

Coming a large clearing she saw Sakura in full combat against her four blobs of fluid which she has sent after her. The eagle lay dead at her feet.

The having abandoned their disguise were now mere puddles of fluid on the ground.

"_Looks like she saw through the disguise, I hope she hasn't managed to send a message to Konoha in the time she escaped"_ thought Akane as Sakura swung around and hit the ground hard with her leg causing it to further crack.

The blobs slithered away and joined with Akane who was hidden in the trees.

Sakura stared at the retreating fluid in surprise before glancing uneasily around her.

"_Hm, clever girl, she suspects they might have joined up with me, I wonder what she'll do now"_ thought Akane.

Sakura began healing her wounds with medical ninjutsu as she still glared around at her surroundings with a kunai held in her hand.

"I know you're there so stop hiding and come out" said Sakura in a steady voice which proved that she was healing fast.

Akane appeared behind the girl and spoke directly in her ear causing the pinkette to jump, "How clever you are"

Sakura turned and then retreated back to a safe distance before getting up and glaring at Akane.

"It was very clever of you to run off while I was battling that white-haired guy, making hay while the sun shines I suppose? Very ingenious" said Akane.

"Pretty low down and sneaky of you to send those fluid-things after me in disguise of Naruto, Sai, Yamato-taichou and Kakashi-sensei" said Sakura as she got her kunai in battle stance.

"Thanks, I just love being low down, now would you prefer I knock you out and drag you back? Or perhaps you'd prefer to come along without any hassle?" asked Akane as Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"Your chakra levels are very low now, I've been healed to my maximum limit, what makes you think I won't be the winner here?" asked Sakura.

Akane gave a short laugh of derision, "Are you really that stupid? It doesn't take chakra to win or loose a fight, chakra is just a supporting factor, what it really takes is strength, even if your chakra is more than mine now, your strength is still that of a pathetic weak, little kunoichi who was abandoned by her love and kidnapped very easily by us" said Akane harshly as Sakura felt anger creeping through her veins.

"_No…I mustn't get angry, that's what she wants, she's trying to taunt me into making a mistake"_ thought Sakura as Akane smirked seeing the girl battling within herself.

Suddenly Akane disappeared and appeared behind Sakura who immediately jumped away from Akane

"Too slow" cried Akane as her chakra molded chains flew from her back and grabbed Sakura by her leg and her left arm.

Swinging the pink haired girl around the chains slammed her into a tree.

Sakura grabbed the chains and pulled hard and to Akane's surprise she found Sakura now attempting to control the chains.

"Big mistake!" cried Akane doing a few hand sings.

"Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder Jutsu" she cried as her hands sparkled with electricity and she grabbed the chains which conducted the current right to Sakura who got a massive shock and fell limply to the ground.

Taking advantage of this moment Akane's chains wrapped themselves around Sakura completely in such a way that her arms and legs were completely useless.

Bringing Sakura close to her Akane smiled, "See? What did I tell you? The level of chakra does not matter, what matters is strength and experience"

Sakura glared at Akane and struggled but immediately lightning shot through the chains and Sakura received another shock and this time fell unconscious.

Just then Sasori landed nimbly beside her and stared at Sakura and then at Akane.

"That was faster than I expected" he said with an amused smirk on his face.

Akane beamed at him and then looked around, "Where's Uchiha?" she asked as Sasori held up a scroll.

"I put him into Salamander; he won't be able to escape from there without being sliced into ribbons" said Sasori.

"Isn't Salamander that huge lizard puppet you use for defense? I thought you lost that earlier?" said Akane.

"I did but I managed to create a better, more advanced form of it, that's one thing that's improved since my resurrection, I concentrate a lot more on defense" said Sasori.

"Hmm, I don't think I've improved a lot in the past year or so, well I felt I was strong enough after I defeated that Blonde Bimbo, but now after almost loosing to this pink haired brat I don't feel so sure" said Akane.

"Don't let it worry you too much, you're strong enough to hold out against Hatake Kakashi, and he's not an adversary to sneeze at" said Sasori.

Akane smiled, "Yeah I guess you're right"

* * *

In a small room with a single bed and a lamp standing on a small dressing table, slept Atsuko despite the sun's harshest attempt to wake her up.

Koutaro poked his head into the room and smiled as he heard her muttering names of various brands of beer in her sleep.

As he turned sat down on the ground beside her he saw a stand of her hair had fallen into her mouth.

Gently removing it he tucked it behind her ear. Unfortunately for him he failed to remember where Atsuko was most ticklish.

"GET AWAY FROM ME RIGHT THIS INSTANT BIG DADDY OR I'LL POUR POCHIRAKU'S BEER DOWN YOUR FAT NOSTRILS!" yelled Atsuko getting up and throwing her pillow at Koutaro, in turn causing the lamp to topple over onto him as well.

"Eh? Wait, your not Big Daddy, where's Big Daddy?" said Atsuko looking around.

Koutaro sat up groaning and rubbing his head.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry Kou," cried Atsuko rushing to help him.

"It's okay Atsuko, but wait, Big Daddy? Who on earth is that?" asked Koutaro sending an amused glance at the embarrassed woman.

"Oh…umm…I was just dreaming you know, and well…strange things happen in dreamland heh heh" said Atsuko rubbing the back of her head.

Koutaro sent her an incredulous look and she sighed.

"Okay, okay, you got me, I'm writing a comic strip where the heroine and her brother are caught by a notorious four headed, flying chimpanzee known as Big Mamma, she tied up the heroine's brother and left the heroine at the mercy of her husband Big Daddy, who's a ten foot tall orangutan with pink fur and a red bow" said Atsuko.

_*Creepy eerie silence accompanied by the sound of crickets chirping and a bathroom flush being pulled*_

"Mppf, mpphf" cried Koutaro stuffing his face into the pillow and quivering dangerously as Atsuko became more hyperactive.

"Oh dear, Kou, are you okay? Are you having palpitations? Brain tumor? Ringworm? Anorexia Nervosa? Dyslexia? Progeria? Or maybe…no…you're actually a woman and you're going through labor? Or ovary tumor? Noooooooooooooo! No don't leave me in this cruel world which exists to hate me, stay by my side and…eh?"

To her surprise Koutaro burst out laughing. Rolling on the floor, he clutched his stomach and tears poured down his eyes.

Atsuko stared indignantly at the man who was thrashing about now. The laughter was so infectious that she found her self laughing as well.

After five minutes their cheeks and stomachs started aching from laughter and they grabbed the bed for support.

"Really Atsuko, you'll be the death of me someday" said Koutaro wiping his eyes.

"Well, excuse me, I didn't plan on the story being funny you know, it's a a tale of a girl and a boy whose love was never meant to be, right from their very birth they were separated by the walls of society, caste and creed, and it has the most tear-jerking end" finished Atsuko.

"Oh I'd say it jerked a lot of tears from me" said Koutaro who relapsed back into small laughs.

"What're you doing here now anyways? It's almost ten-thirty. Don't you have work today?" asked Atsuko.

"No I took the day off to spend a little time with you, maybe we could go to your house and do a bit of spring cleaning" said Koutaro cheerfully.

Atsuko blushed a little, "You didn't have to take the day off to spring clean my dump" she said softly.

"Hey, I can't have you living in a dump right? Precisely why I'm spring cleaning it. Kyoko-San has promised to provide us lunch if we can get back by half past two" said Koutaro.

"Really? Come one then what're you sitting there dawdling for, we've got a dump to clean" cried Atsuko as she produced a broom from nowhere and ran out pretending to ride it.

Koutaro stared fondly at her before grabbing a brush and a bucket before shutting the door of his apartment and leaving.

* * *

Sakura sat hunched up in the corner of her cell with her head buried between her knees.

After she had been dragged back by that hateful woman she had undergone 2 hours of questioning by the Leader and when she had refused to relent that man had called Itachi and asked him to use Tsukuyomi on her.

After what seemed like 3 days of immense torture her will had crumbled and she had admitted having sent a message to Tsunade about her location and everything she knew so far about the Akatsuki.

The Leader seemed to have cooled off after that but unfortunately for Sakura she soon discovered she was wrong.

The Leader had decided that she would suffer a week's torture from either that scythe-wielding, white haired guy who kept abusing everyone or from that dratted woman who kept dragging her back every time she tried to escape.

"After I make my decision you will realize the consequences of having attempted to betray Akatsuki and hopefully never try to do it again" said Leader as Itachi had dragged her by her dress and thrown her back into her cell and left without uttering a single word to her.

"_And here I was thinking he might have been a little different than the others…what a big, bloody fool I am"_ cursed Sakura as tears poured down from her eyes and fell on her scarred arms.

There were sounds of footsteps in the passage and Sakura looked up to see who would be torturing her.

Her heart sank when she saw Hidan grinning at her with a sadistic grin on his face as he licked his lips once and took out the keys.

"The Leader has given you the honor of being in my room for the next week. I do hope you don't mind a little blood?" he asked as he opened the door and came in.

Sakura who was already backed against the wall looked up at him in fear as he towered above her menacingly.

Screaming loudly she kicked at him and tried to run through the open door but Hidan grabbed her leg and swung her around so her back hit the wall of the cell.

He then grabbed her by her hair and lifted her up, "Listen up, you're fucking going to do just as I tell you or else the result is gonna be bloodier than I can see it right now" he drawled biting her ear so hard that it bled.

Sakura screamed louder and thrashed about wildly and one of her legs caught Hidan in the stomach and he dropped her clutching it.

"Mmm, that pain felt delicious, can't wait to see how much more you can hurt me, oh, don't worry, I'll be hurting you too…a lot" cried Hidan as he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out of the cell.

He pulled her up the stairs ignoring her cries of pain and agony as he threw her through the wooden door forming a large hole on it.

Kisame, who was passing by on the other side stared as Hidan emerged from the hole and kicked Sakura's stomach so that she flew up and then again grabbed her hair and began pulling.

"Let me go, you damned masochist, I…I won't betray you again, please let me go!" cried Sakura, tears running down her eyes as Hidan laughed manically.

"First you call me a masochist and then you say please? Make up your fucking mind, bitch!" he cried as he continued dragging her through the hallways.

Sakura suddenly took hold of the hand he used to drag her and bit it as hard as she could. Blood split from it and she hurriedly spat it out as she had never tasted anything worse.

"Oh yes, I like biting, but tit for tat you know, you bit my hand so now it's my turn" said Hidan pinning her to the wall with one hand and pressing the other one around her neck.

Sakura kicked him hard in his genitals area and he gave a howl of pain and pleasure and released her from the wall.

"You fucking bitch, you sure know how to fight, it's my turn again now" he said giving Sakura a slap on her cheek. He continued slapping her on both cheeks while laughing crazily as the sound of his terrifying laugh and Sakura's agonized screams echoed throughout the base.

Sakura fell to the floor panting as Hidan got up, "Okay, it's your turn now, thank me cause I'm being quite generous"

Sakura saw Itachi passing by in another passage. His emotionless, onyx eyes that reminded her so much of Sasuke met with hers for a moment and even in her frenzied state Sakura thought she saw anger flash through them for a brief moment.

"Help me please" she cried trying to crawl towards him as Itachi merely sent her an indifferent glance and walked on.

"Awww, isn't that too bad, you're helpline left you stranded, your turns over, so I guess it's my turn again" said Hidan grabbing Sakura and trying to tear off her shirt.

Just then a senbon flew and hit Hidan on the back of his neck.

"Hidan, when the Leader asked you to torture the girl he didn't mean that you do it in the hall in front of everybody else" said a cool voice as Sakura painfully looked up to see Sasori staring at the Jashinist coolly.

"And who're you to tell me that you weak namby-pamby, mind your own fucking business" cried Hidan struggling to move.

"It's no use, I've struck your paralyzing point, you'll be stuck there till Kakuzu can return and fix you up, and on that note, you're not supposed to be raping the girl either" said Sasori.

"I'll do whatever I like you damned red head and I'll kill anyone who gets in my way" yelled Hidan so angry that his eyes had become red and spit flew out of his mouth.

Sasori ignored him as he stepped over Sakura and picked her up and swung her over his shoulder before walking away.

"You bring that bitch back here right now, I'm not near being done with her yet, Leader's given me the responsibility" yelled Hidan.

"The Leader has revised his decision, he feels Akane will be more suited to the job, thanks for your time but your services aren't required anymore, now go die somewhere" said Sasori as he walked away.

* * *

Well that was a longer than usual chapter. Thanks to everybody who reviewed for the previous chapter and I hope you'll do the same for this one too. Bye and see you guys next time!


	30. Side Story: INTERVIEWING THE STARS!

Hi everybody. Welcome to the 30th chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I'd like to extend a large thank you to all who reviewed for the previous chapter and a (slightly) smaller thank you to those who read but didn't review! Please read and do review this time!

This is a special chapter to commemorate 30 chapters of completion and obtaining of over a 100 reviews. This chapter is an interview of all the most prominent characters of the story.

This chapter is dedicated to **heartlessrayne** and **SweetScarlett97** who have consistently reviewed and read my stories from the beginning. Thanks you two, you guys rock!

It's also as thanks to all those who have reviewed! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

Deidara: Welcome, to the show that about the world of Naruto. Today we'll be giving all our fine actors a break and interviewing them about their difficult dialogues, emotional and romantic scenes and of course, the abuse, insults and the FIGHTS AND BANGS, hm!

Neji: Good grief, who put this idiot who has no means of knowing what fate, has in store for him next to me?

Deidara: Hey quit your yapping girly-boy, or boy-girl or whatever you are, hm

Neji: I'm neither of those, I am Neji Hyuuga, a patron of destiny, one of the most esteemed members of the Hyuuga (branch) clan, I am powerful, I know my destiny, I am…

Deidara: Weak, hm

Neji (enraged): How dare you, Eight Trigrams: One Twenty Eight…

Monogatari-sensei: Hey, hey guys cool it. The show has started you know. Besides we went over this matter after you two destroyed the fifty-fifth rehearsal stage or perhaps you suffer from Short Term Memory Loss? Oh and to all you readers who are blissfully unaware, I'm the Producer of this…this…madhouse!

Deidara: Fine, fine, I hear ya. Anyways, welcome all you Picassos and Leonardo da Vincis out there, I'm your host…

Neji: Ahem!

Deidara: Yeah. Yeah, I'm _one_ of your hosts for tonight's special show where I…

Neji: Ahem!

Deidara _(glaring):_ _We _shall be interviewing some of your favorite characters from this half baked story that made me loose to that dratted Fluid-using witch, hm

Neji: Be grateful, at least Monogatari-Sensei's kept you alive and away from annoying, lousy, sharingan-using slob

Sasuke: I heard that *Chidori!*

CRASH! BLAM! SMASH! KA-POW!

Deidara: While those two simpletons fight it out, I'll…"

Neji _(with his foot in Sasuke mouth and hair being pulled by Sasuke)_: Ahem!

Deidara: Fine, fine, now get your foot out of his mouth. The fan girls are already bombarding the doors! Anyways, _we'll_ begin with our first guest who hates being kept waiting, which is… the red-headed… Master of Puppets, my Danna, and the one and only Akasuna no Sasori, hm!

_*Cheers and claps and boos*_ Smoke fills the area.

Deidara (coughing): Okay, that was some amazing special effects Danna…wait a minute, that wasn't the mysterious bottle I found in Danna's poison kit was it, Noooooo, I want to live, Doctor, Doctor, hm! (Runs off the stage)

Neji: Phew finally got rid of that pest. Ahem, yes welcome Sasori-San to our show

Sasori: Will you stop welcoming me already and hurry up because…

Audience (in chorus): I don't like to wait or keep others waiting

Sasori (surprised): That's right. How did you know?

Neji: Ahem, just a lucky guess…. So, Sasori-San, we'd like to ask you a few questions

Sasori: Keep it short and sweet, that's how I prefer to kill my victims (unless I poison them with my special sweethearts which keep hurting and hurting till you die of pain*thunder sound*)

Neji: First of all we have a question from Sabaku no Kankurou; he asks "Just how many freaking compartments do you have in this freaky puppet body of yours?"

Sasori: Wellll, that's a very good question actually, there's one in the nape, two in the left thigh, four on the chest…"

_5 hours later_

Sasori: …and one in my middle finger and three in the left ear and two under my eyelashes and…"

Neji: I thought you hated keeping others waiting

Sasori (blinking): You're right, I have defied myself, and this is the end. Kill me now boy before I change my mind.

Deidara: Nooooooo! Don't kill Danna, hm (again)!

Neji (sweat drops): Here's the next question from Matsuri, "Are you in some weird way related to Gaa-Chan?"

Sasori: Who?

Gaara: (clears throat)

Everybody: Ohhhhhhh! *muffled giggles and snorts*

Sasori: Hee, hee, hee…oh sorry, no I'm in no way related to that emotionless, imsomnia-niated, and ex-jinchuriki

Gaara: Excuse me? Your grandmother sealed that rapping raccoon inside me

Sasori (glaring at Gaara): She sacrificed her life to save you…_stupid old hag_

Neji: Ahem, lets hold a moments silence in the memory of Chiyo Baa~Sama

Everybody bows their head in respect when the sound of a bathroom flush turning is heard

Sasori: Who dares taint the memory of my Grandmother…_old hag?_

Naruto: Sorry, Ichiraku gets worse everyday; I think that ramen was expi…"

**Crash!**

Naruto: Ouch Ayame-Chan you didn't need to throw that!

Deidara: Righto, now let's say toodles to Danna and welcome that dratted Fluid–using witch on stage, hm _(I hope I brought my Karura)_

Akane: Tsk, tsk, you're barking has filled my head with echoes, Dei-Chan!

Deidara: *Faints*

Neji: Ahem, someone fetch the Doctor (again). Anyways Akane-San…

Akane: Sama

Neji: Pardon?

Akane: I'd prefer you use 'Akane-Sama' unless you wish to be smothered to death by the loving embrace of my fluid

Neji: No thanks, I'll pass on that Akane-_Sama. _We have a question for you from Ayako

Akane: Darn it, I gave her the wrong date, sneaky little…BEEEEPPPP

Neji: Ahem, anyways, Ayako-San asks you "How many boyfriends have you made while you were out parading as an assassin?

Akane (glaring): Seven

Neji: SEVEN! Ahem, anyways the next question which is…also from Ayako is, "What happened to them?"

Sasori: YOU HAD SEVEN BOYFRIENDS? YOU NEVER TOLD ME!

Akane: Sorry, just slipped my mind. Lets see, there was Hiroshi who liked showering flower petals on me, so I thought I'd shower some on him…unfortunately I forgot to remove the flower from the vase. Then there was Sentaro who wanted space, so I opened the door and threw him out, but I forgot we were traveling by ship. Keigo liked reciting haiku, one fine afternoon he ran out of haikus, I was bored, killed him with a toothpick. Then there was Shotaro who dared to glance at that hussy from the bar, I made sure he paid for that. I remember Sennosuke, the brat dared to peep at me while I was bathing, I didn't let him breathe another second. Hey wait…you're not related to him are you?

Neji (shivering): NO! NO! I SWEAR I'M NOT!

Akane: I thought so; you look more like Kenji who was such a dunce. What can I do if that long-haired, China-worshipper mistook my fluid for jelly pudding, come to think of it if you cancel the 'K' and jumble the rest you get N-E-J-I. You must be related to him. I'm so sorry for killing him.

Neji: N-no, p-p-please, i-i-ts o-okay, he's not e-even…"

Akane: AHA! So you are related to him. Why you…

Hinata: N-neji nii-san, h-h-ow d-dare you I-imitate m-me, I-its not in y-your d-destiny

*Both start running after Neji*

Akane: Glutton's brother!

Hinata: H-how c-could you I-imitate me, brother?

Neji (fleeing for his life): But I'm not a brother!

Hiashi: What? You're not Hizashi's son? IMPOSTER! Guards, come capture this imposter

Everyone runs after Neji as Deidara slinks back on the podium.

Deidara: Wow, I wouldn't like to be in his place. So now we move to our next guest that is…Grrr, Itachi Uchiha, hm

_*Itachi walks on stage as fan-girls go wild*_

Deidara: Damn you Uchiha, I hate your eyes, they look down upon me, they…

Itachi: Your multi-mouths are spitting on me. Kindly take a step away from me

Deidara (Wiping his hands and mouth): Anyways, the first question we have is from…*Deidara squeals like a girl* MADARA UCHIHA!

DUNNN….. DUNNNN…. DUNNN *Lightning flashes across the sky and thunder growls from the hall somewhere*

Naruto: Sorry…Gas is awful to deal with!

Deidara(round eyed): That's the idiot who helped that masked scarecrow rip my arm off, you just wait there till the shows over, hey, hey, get back here right now you pig…

Sakura (from backstage): Hey don't steal Ino's title

Ino: Oh no, please weird girly guy who looks like me, please continue using that for Naruto…permanently. Everybody mark it, from this day on Naruto is the new pig, ha! Go fish bill-board brow!

Deidara (muttering): I find Orochimaru more suitable to the title. Anyways, grrr, Itachi, Madara's question to you is "Itachi, I can predict the outcome this foolish world will come to, I will conquer everything, I need your power, help me get the Ten-Tailed…oops never mind"

Kabuto: Impure World Resurrection!

Madara: Noooooooo! It's Izuna! Spare me brother, no, please, not that, you may not remember but I did ask you and said 'Hn' so I just interpreted that on my own. Noo…noo...NOOOOOOOOOO. Okay, okay Kabuto; you can take Sasuke's body, just get this zombie away from here

Itachi: Mangekyo…Mangekyo…Mangekyo… hey what the hell, my Mangekyo stuck, Madara!

_*Goes backstage*_

CRASH…BANG…SMASH

Deidara: Okay Weasel, we don't have any 'proper' questions for you because the mail box exploded with questions regarding your…ahem…preferences and personal umm, habits, yeah habits. So instead of that I'd…

Neji (walks on stage on crutches): Ahem

Fluid pulls him back as he cries out 'Noooooooooo'

Deidara: As I was saying, _we_ would like you to say a few words to our audience

Itachi (looking at the crowd of fan girls below him): Sasuke, you have become strong, but not strong enough. Your strength is far below my level. You are still very weak in many aspects, foolish otouto, run, run and cling to your pathetic life and…

Sasuke (backstage): I'm over here you know!

Itachi (stands silently for a moment before exploding with lots of smoke)

Deidara: Cough, cough. Next we have the unnatural-haired, unnaturally dressed Sakura Haruno *screams like a girl*(again). Help! Cleopatra's attacked

_*Sakura walks in covered in bandages from head to toe like a mummy*_

Monogatari-Sensei: No, no, Deidara-San, that's just poor Sakura on whom I 'named' the previous chapter due to certain 'reasons'

Sakura: Darn you, it's all your fault that I look like Cleopatra's mummy. I'll…CRACK! Ouchhh! My ribcage!

Deidara: Yes, yes, I completely sympathize with you…well no I don't actually care a rat's tail but anyways here's your first question from the new Pig, hm.

Ino (from backstage): Yippee, yahoo

Shikamaru: Hey that's my leg you're holding. Tch, troublesome woman!

Deidara: Yeah, as I was say…

Neji (from stretcher): Ahem…owwww

Deidara: Grr, one more time and you're eating my C1. As _we_ were saying, the pig has said, 'SAKURAAAA-CHANNN, WILL YOU GO OUT WITH MEEEEE?'

Naruto: Hey wait, why am I surrounded by black flames? Hey someone call the Fire Department. No, no, I can't die yet

Kakuzu: Out of the question, those brats raised the price by 0.000000001 ryo? Can you believe it? Its daylight robbery I tell you!

Naruto: I will return, I will become Hokage, Sasuke, I will bring you back to the village, I will…

Kakuzu: Hey quit it, those amplifiers don't drop out of heaven. They cost real, and I mean really real money which unfortunately doesn't grow on trees

Naruto: I WILL BECOME HOKAGE…DATTEBAYO!

Neji: If you become Hokage I'll be the first to defect! Ouch! Hinata, you didn't need to punch me

Hinata: Ooops, sorry Neji Nii-San, my hand slipped

Deidara: Hey can you get back to me…

Neji: Ahem

Deidara: That's it, C1!

**BANG! CRASH! BOOOOMMM!**

Neji: Am I still alive? Huh? What? Tenten?

Tenten: Don't worry Neji, I'll protect you from all the evil in this world!

Deidara: Humph, well anyways Sakura, your next question is from Tsunade. It says, 'Sakura, where are you? Tell me your location right now and I'll send the Anbu to rescue you

Sakura: Tsunade-Sama, I'm here, the address is 1/6 Animeville Town, in the east end of the…

Unknown voice: Shinra Tensei!

_*Sakura blows away from the stage and flies out of the roof*_

Deidara (Getting up from the ground): Okays, so we move onto our next and second last character to be interviewed that is Kakashi…no wait, Kakuzu, sorry, sorry, my mistake

Kakuzu: Before you ask me questions I would like to say that the box you see at the door is for any donations that I would greatly appreciate, I don't mind what you donate, paper money, coins, checks, a couple of hearts for me to use, anything's fine

Deidara: Well umm Kakuzu, we have a question from a fan girl who says she likes your mystical green glowing eyes and…

Kakuzu: Why thank you. It cost me 1000 ryo to implant them

_*Eerie silence*_

Deidara (hastily): She asks, 'Kakuzu-San, who do you consider your greatest enemy in this world?'

Kakuzu: Why that's very simple to answer, Banks my friend, banks are the greatest enemies to collectors such as I. They have those highly pressurized steel walls and those clerks with fake smiles painted on them and the lingering stench of honey-dew perfume which spoils the delicious, astounding scent of crisp minted paper money. MMMM, coins, checks, yummy!

_*A paper chit comes flying out of the audience and lands at Deidara's feet. He picks it up and unfolds it*_

Deidara: Okay here's your next question from the same fan girl, "Do you think you could get some of those cool eyes for me too?

Kakuzu: WHAT? ARE YOU ASKING ME TO SPEND MONEY ON SOMETHING I'VE ALREADY BOUGHT? UNTHINAKBLE, UNHOLY, WHO DARES ASK SUCH A THING? I DEMAND TO KNOW, TELL ME WHO? WHO?

Monogatari-Sensei: _*Uses godly powers and wipes out Kakuzu's existence from the world temporarily*_

Deidara: Thank you, well moving on…

Neji: Hey get down from that podium. Destiny swirls around me and it says to me that it is my turn to host the show

Deidara: Oh really? Eat some of this…destiny (throws C1 at Neji which is blocked by Tenten's weapons)

Tenten_ (glaring): _You try that once more and I'll make sure the last thing you see is my blade

Deidara: Oh yeah? You watch who you're threatening sister; I'll blow up those two buns of yours before stuffing Karura up you _BEEEPPP_

_*Tenten and Deidara indulge in a little staring and glaring match before Deidara screams and throwing C1 bombs on her and runs after the girl as she gracefully slips away*_

Neji (on crutches): Ahem, well now that've gone I would like to introduce the last guest for our show… Rika Aizawa, the prototype spoilt heiress.

Rika: Hey I can hear you, though your voice sounds like nails on black boards

Neji (clearing his throat): Well Rika-San, we have three questions for you, the first being…

Rika: Of course you'd have three questions for me, I'm the most popular character in the story after all, I'm sure I'll replace Takigawa as heroine in a few days

Audience: BOOOOOOO!

Rika: How dare you, you lugs, I'm more beautiful, more refined, more attractive, more dignified…

Neji: 'Beautiful' and 'Attractive' mean the same thing, so do 'Refined' and 'Dignified'

Rika: Listen sweetie? Are you the person whose daddy is sponsoring the show? No right? Then keep that damn mouth of yours shut, you piece of dogsh_*_t

Neji: My father's dead for heavens sake. I thought you said you were 'Refined and Dignif…OUCH!1

_*Neji falls back unconscious as Rika throws a make up kit right in his face and stands on his podium*_

Rika: Let me tell all of you, I will become the most beautiful female in the entire history of anime, no Sakura, Rukia, Misty, Kagome, Nami or whatever those ugly creatures are called will be able to surpass me in any aspect, I am the almighty, I am…

Monogatri-Sensei: Okay times up, stop your rant and get down from the podium Rika

Rika: Why the hell should I? I like standing up here and lording over those poor fools who don't know what awaits them

Monogatari-Sensei: If you're talking about the audience then the only one whose watching you is the ghost of your dead father

Rika: Eh?

Monogatari-Sensei: Didn't you notice, Deidara got into a fight with Tenten and ripped her guts out, then the guy went mad trying to fight Sasuke and right now he's going to use CO to blast everything within 10 Km radius. Everyone evacuated five minutes ago

Rika: Oh yeah I saw that episode, poor guy, he died unnecessarily, Sasuke summoned the snake didn't he…wait…you mean he's gonna do it right now…as in here? Now? Now over here? He's already started it? NOOOOOOOOOOOO

_*Grabs her kimono and begins to run but 3.5 minutes later*_

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!**

**

* * *

****Monogatari-Sensei: Well folks that was it for the 30****th**** Chapter of 'The Reason for Existing' Kindly note that this is a side story and has nothing to do with the main story at all. So you can expect to see all your favorite characters next chapter. Until next time folks…yeah, yeah I'm coming mom **_**(even godly story writers have moms right?)**_**. Bye guys!**


	31. Sakura's Mercy and Rika's Plan

Hiya everybody. Welcome to the 31st chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. Thanks to everyone who reviewed to the previous chapter!

* * *

Itachi Uchiha prided himself on showing no emotion at all in the most difficult of situations. However in the scene he was witnessing his pride fell for a moment as she saw Sakura groveling on the floor with the repulsive Hidan standing leering at her.

"Help me please" she said weakly and Itachi longed to leave everything and slam Hidan's ugly face into his own butt. However that was not Itachi Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha rescue a girl who tried to betray Akatsuki? Never.

But the fact that Sakura had asked _him_ to help her stirred something in his mind.

"_Do not be foolish, she asked me because I'm the only person around, that's the only reason why she asked me for my help, which I refuse to give her"_ thought Itachi as with great difficulty he turned and walked away down the passage trying his best to ignore Sakura's agonized screams.

"_Anyways, I've done my bit for the girl"_ thought Itachi as his mind went back to the meeting with the Leader he had around fifteen minutes ago.

"You want what Itachi? Are you asking me to change my mind and decision about the girl?" asked the Leader, his eyes narrowing menacingly.

"You're mistaken, I do not care in the least who you give to torture the girl, but the fact is Hidan's room is extremely close to my own and it's difficult to sleep at night with all the screams and yells of laughter, my disease already hampers my ability to get a good night's rest enhanced by Hidan's disturbances I am unable to…"

"Enough! I get your point, but then are you suggesting that the girl get off free without any retribution?" asked the Leader.

"No, I'm merely requesting her to be tortured by someone other than Hidan" said Itachi impassively.

For five minutes Pain and Itachi stared at each other. Cold, ringed eyes started into deep, onyx eyes as nobody spoke for a moment.

Finally Pain reached a decision, "Very well, you may inform Sasori that he and Takigawa-San are to be in charge of the girl, I trust that does not bother you? Or perhaps you were hoping to have charge of the girl yourself?"

"I assure you that's not the case, I will inform Sasori-San and Takigawa-San, if you'll excuse me then" said Itachi getting up and leaving.

"Is something wrong Nagato?" asked Konan looking concerned as Pain simply stared after the closed door.

"No, nothing of consequence, by the way, when is _he_ arriving here?" asked Pain quietly.

"Tonight, midnight to be precise, Deidara has already returned but he has some other job he needs to tend to so he'll be slightly late" said Konan.

Pain sighed, "Very well"

Konan glanced at him, "Are you worried about Itachi? What he'll do when he finds we've got his younger brother locked up?"

Pain got up, "If he does something he shouldn't then I'll have to exterminate him, that's all there is to it"

* * *

Sasori opened to door to Akane's room and threw the struggling Sakura onto Akane's bed.

Sakura immediately coiled up in the corner of the bed staring at Sasori with distrustful eyes.

"The Leader has revised his decision and put you in my and Akane's care, I would advice you not to get on our nerves or we can be worse than Hidan, wait here for Akane to come and if I sense any hanky-panky then you've had it" said Sasori.

Sakura sat coiled up at the corner of the bed as she buried her face between her knees and cried. Tears cascaded down her bruised cheeks.

"_Threats. Threats. More threats. Torture. Murder. Pain. Killing. Sadness. Monsters. That's all I've been getting and seeing so far here in the Akatsuki. But then again, what did i expect? What do I do? I managed to send Tsunade-Sama a message but who knows whether it even reached her. Even if it reached her I don't see how they'll be able to storm the Base and take out all the members together. It's…impossible…I'll be here till I die, why should I live like that? It's better if I kill myself right now"_ thought Sakura when her gaze fell upon a kunai on the floor.

She picked it up and gazed at it in wonder as if she'd never seen a kunai before.

_"It's so beautifully …sharp. I could cut through any part of my body with this. My eyes, my stomach, my abdomen, my face, my…"_

"I wouldn't advise you to do that" said a cold voice from the door.

Sakura looked up to see Akane staring disdainfully at her.

"Why do you care anyways? You're just another one of them. I'm just a little plaything for you all aren't I?" asked Sakura glaring at Akane who came and sat down on her bed opposite Sakura.

"You're not wrong in that assumption" she replied as Sakura's eyes fell.

"However that's still no reason to take your life. Like I told you before, God did not put us in this world so that we could take our lives" said Akane.

"Are you trying to comfort me? Or is this some sick plan to give me hope and then crush it again? A part of your torture session maybe?" scoffed Sakura.

"Fear" said Akane as Sakura gave her a puzzled look.

"Pain, Agony, Sadness, Betrayal. They're all flashing in your eyes. Perhaps you were ignored by someone you trusted? It wasn't me. Then who was it? Uchiha-San?" asked Akane smiling slyly.

Sakura blushed and turned away, "There is nobody here that I trust. Not you, not Akasuna no Sasori. Not Itachi Uchiha. Nobody. You're all monsters"

"Ehhh? So do you usually kiss monsters and blush when their name is mentioned?" asked Akane enjoying the younger girl's discomfort.

"I did not kiss him, he… he…forced it on me, yeah my hands were tied" protested Sakura.

"But I saw you, you made no attempt to even try and push him away. If I hadn't interrupted you probably would have kissed him back" said Akane playing with a small blob of fluid.

"I…I…well what about Akasuna no Sasori?" shot back Sakura.

Akane recoiled, "W-what about him? You're not insinuating that there's something going on between us, are you?" she demanded.

"There's no need to insinuate, it's quite clear from the way he looks at you" said Sakura.

"No it is not, now look here you, Sasori-San is my friend and colleague and that's it, you get it, nothing more, end of story, goodbye, sayonara, adieu" cried Akane.

"You sure get worked up about it" said Sakura giving her a small smile.

"Not as much as you did when Itachi-San kissed you, you were practically in the Seventh Heaven" retorted Akane.

"Now that is a complete lie!" cried Sakura.

"Enough! I'm supposed to be torturing you, I can't sit here chatting with you about your love life" said Akane getting up.

Sakura's eyes fell immediately and her former hunched position returned as did the haunted look in her eyes.

Akane raised her hand but something stirred inside her and she found herself unable to inflict more pain upon the girl who was already suffering.

She sighed and turned making Sakura stare in surprise.

"You've gone through enough today, I'll let it slip this time, but there's no need to tell anybody, I'll still have to give you a few bruises occasionally to prove I'm working on it" said Akane fiddling with her cupboard.

"You're…not going to torture me?" asked Sakura not daring to believe it.

"I will if you want me to, you little nitwit" said Akane feeling annoyed at the girl.

Sakura's heart yelled out and screamed in relief as Inner Sakura let out a whoop of delight.

"**Perhaps she ain't as bad as I thought her to be" **

"Thank you" said Sakura quietly as Akane did not reply but a slight smile came over her face.

* * *

"Akio-Sama, Akio-Sama please open your eyes, oh Hiroshi, why the hell isn't he opening his eyes?" asked Rika frantically.

"Because he's unconscious?" offered Hiroshi rolling his eyes at Rika's dramatics.

"I know that you fool, how long is he going to remain unconscious?" yelled Rika as Hiroshi winced a little at her shrill voice.

"Umm, I wouldn't know that ma'am, the Healer you hired to check him said he could be out for another week or two at the most," said Hiroshi.

"Damn those Akatsuki-pests, damn that Sousuke, If I could lay my hands on him now I'd…"

"Regarding that matter Rika-San, I don't think it was a very good idea to send Sousuke off like that. Akio-Sama is very fond of him and he's sure to be furious" said Hiroshi calmly.

"I'm sure he feels angry at Sousuke for causing so much trouble, He'll forgive me I know that" said Rika as Akio gave a soft groan.

"Hiroshi! Did you hear that? Akio groaned! He actually made a sound" cried Rika in joy.

"Yeah, great news" said Hiroshi sarcastically.

Akio's eyes slowly fluttered open as Rika began crying tears of joy.

"R-rika?" he asked softly as Rika nodded and gently stroked his forehead as Hiroshi helped him into a sitting position and sent a maid to search for the medical ninja.

"Akio, I'm so glad your okay, I thought you were going to die or something" cried Rika hugging him as tears still fell from her eyes.

"Shh, come on now, would I let a simple poison kill me?" asked Akio.

"I beg to differ son, that poison was probably one of the most complex one in the Shinobi world, I couldn't do anything except limit its effect and wait it out" said the Medical Ninja who had healed Akio as he came into the room and sat down beside Akio.

As the healer checked Akio he turned his head around.

"Where's Sousuke?" he asked.

Rika got up and started at him with a reinforced determination in her pale eyes, "I sent him away from here Akio, so that he wouldn't ever be a bother to us again, when I say 'us' I greatly stress on you, look at the trouble he got you into you could have…"

"You sent him away? Knowing that how terrified he is of the Akatsuki?" cried Akio.

"There are thousands of people in the Shinobi world who are terrified of the Akatsuki but they all don't come here and hide behind you do they? He's got to learn to fend for himself" retorted Rika.

"That's true but not this way, look if an Akatsuki member found him then he'd be too terrified to call for help leave alone try to fight, so that would only get himself killed either way, we've got to toughen him up before sending him out there Rika, you fool" cried Akio grabbing a sword from the dresser.

"You be careful son, I've done all I can and you should be in a tiptop shape soon but try not to over-exert yourself" said the healer putting back his glasses.

"Got that" said Akio jumping out of the bed.

"You're not going to search for him now are you? Oh Akio, you just woke up, it's not good for you to strain yourself like this" cried Rika.

"Sorry Rika, every moment is precious, I'll be back soon, Hiroshi, make sure you protect Rika okay?" said Akio as Hiroshi nodded curtly.

Rika watched in despair as Akio leapt out of a window.

_"Damn that Sousuke, why won't he let me be with Akio in peace, there's only one thing to be done now"_ she thought as she began writing a letter.

* * *

Sousuke strolled through the streets of an unknown village before someone roughly bumped into him and sent him flying.

"Hey watch where your going, punk!" said a fat guy surrounding him with three other companions. They were obviously on drugs and alcohol and smelled atrocious.

"I-I'm sorry," said Sousuke as the man slammed him into a wall hard. People began looking but nobody came up to help.

"We'll have to take something from you instead" said the guy running his hands through Sousuke's pocket as his hand fell on a small pendant.

"I'll have this" he said.

"No, please don't, I beg you, please leave that, take anything else but that" cried Sousuke as the man spat on him.

"Ya think you're here to order me, punk" he said taking out a knife.

Just then smoke filled the area and Sousuke found himself being dragged away from the alleyway and into the open street again.

When the smoke cleared he saw he was in a building and the ones who had dragged him there were a young couple.

"Are you okay buddy? Those ruffians didn't hurt you did they?" asked the woman looking concerned.

"N-n-no I'm f-fine, thank you very much" said Sousuke as he gripped the pendant tightly.

"Good thing I had a smoke bomb in my pocket, these things are usually very useless but whenever I get the chance to use any of them I always jump at…"

"Yes, yes, now let's get him something warm and something to eat shall we? He looks starved" said the woman.

"Geez I know, I was just going to do that" said the guy as he fiddled about with a door and pushed it open.

"Come in, and make yourself at home" said the woman.

"Thank you, I'm Sousuke" he said as he bowed to them.

"Nice to meetcha, my name is Atsuko Takigawa, that's my friend Koutaro Kubo" replied the woman as she threw herself on the couch.

Sousuke's eyes widened a little, "Takigawa? Atsuko? I feel I heard that name before" as he began wondering.

* * *

That's it for now! Do review! See you all next time!


	32. All out Against the Akatsuki

Hi everyone. This chapter you'll get to see some of your favorites from Konoha. And of course a bit of that dratted Sasuke too. I hope you'll like the chapter.

* * *

"Okay, we've traced signs of chakra up ahead, this place has frequently been used by some sort of Shinobi and taking it to be the Akatsuki wouldn't be inaccurate" said Kakashi as he turned to the other members of the Sakura Retrieval Team.

He had been assigned as the leader for the mission. Naruto had still not gained consciousness when they left Konoha due to Tsunade keeping him under sedatives.

"I know it seems cruel to it this way but I feel this time Naruto cannot be allowed to go near Akatsuki at any rate, I know he's strong and all but he won't last very long in an Akatsuki base because he simply does not recognize the word stealth and planning" stated Tsunade when Kiba had indignantly protested at Naruto's absence from the Team.

"But still, Naruto has a right to be on this team" cried Kiba.

"O-onegai T-tsunade-Sama, o-o-negai let N-naruto-kun be on t-this team" pleaded Hinata.

"He would be really livid if he woke up and realized what you'd done to him" stated Shizune.

"Silence all of you! I have made my decision and I'm not going to change it. I already allow Naruto a lot more freedom than what is suggested by the Elders" said Tsunade banging her hand on the table and getting up.

"I will be sending twelve members on the Squad to retrieve Sakura. It will be split into two units, the first unit will be headed by Kakashi and the members will include Kiba, Tenten, Lee, Chouji and Ino. The second team will be headed by Shizune and the members will include Hinata, Shikamaru, Sai, Neji and Shino. Yamato is away on another mission right now so he will not be joining you" Tsunade paused a little before turning away, "Another reason why I refuse to allow Naruto this mission. However he may join you later if he's up to the task"

"Understood" said Kakashi and Shizune together.

"Shizune and Ino, as the only two Medical ninja on the Squad a lot of responsibility falls on the two of you to heal anybody who gets injured as well as heal Sakura is she is injured when you manage to retrieve her" said Tsunade.

"The Hokage has balanced the team well indeed, she's kept the more aggressive fighters on my side and the more refined ones on Shizune's side, plus each team has a healer and trackers" thought Kakashi.

"I know despite the strength of this team the Akatsuki will be a tough opponent which is why is suggest each team take two clones of Katsuyu each incase you need to be healed immediately, also I will be sending in major reinforcement if you need it, Shizune, Kakashi, you both know how to contact me, just tell me if you need help and I'll send over reinforcement" said Tsunade.

"_What kind of reinforcement could she be talking about? The Anbu I guess"_ thought Shizune as everyone nodded.

"Very well then everyone, go forth and bring back Sakura, for many of you it is your first S-ranked mission, so if anyone wants to back out, there's still time" said Tsunade as nobody moved an inch she smiled.

"Fine then, go!" she ordered as they all cried 'Hai' in unison.

As they all disappeared and Tsunade was left alone she turned and faced the glass window, "_Sakura, I've done whatever I can, the fact that you managed to send a note to me proves that you're still alive, I'm sure if anyone can find its them, and I'm sorry for not being able to send Naruto as well, but I hope you'll understand" _she thought as the Cherry blossom flowers from the garden nearby began to sway in the wind.

* * *

Thus Kakashi had come very near Sunagakure where the note sent to Tsunade-Sama claimed was a hidden base.

_FLASHBACK_

"_What? You're sending us on a S-Rank Mission based on a note? Tsunade-Sama we don't know for sure that note was written by Sakura, it could be a hoax to draw Naruto in" said Kakashi as the rest of the Retrieval Squad looked on._

"_I'm not dumb Kakashi, I have considered the possibility, thus I'm not sending Naruto on the mission, whereas the genuine of the note is concerned, you all can rest assured that it's from Sakura" said Tsunade._

"_But…"_

"_I've had reports from the Fifth Kazekage saying that he's detected Akatsuki activity nearby. Also this note asks Kakashi or Naruto not to take any blame, it also asks that Naruto not be sent on the Retrieval team" said Tsunade._

_Kakashi subsided and stared at Tsunade who held the note so tight that it became crumpled. Kakashi's eye softened and he bowed, "Whatever you say Tsunade-Sama"_

_END FLASHBACK_

"Kakashi-sensei, Kakashi-sensei" said Kiba trying to break Kakashi out of his trance by shaking him.

"Huh? What? Kiba?" asked Kakashi.

"Pay attention, will you? This is a very important mission" scolded Shizune as Kakashi laughed uneasily.

"Gomen, gomen, so what were you saying Kiba?" asked Kakashi.

Kiba puffed out his chest, "Team 8 is proud to say that we have pinpointed the location of the Akatsuki base in Sunagakure"

"That's great, can you sense Sakura in there?" asked Kakashi.

"We're a tracker team not sensory team, we're not able to sense Sakura, Kiba has a few faint traces here and there but they're very feeble" said Shino.

"What about your bugs?" asked Shizune.

"I'm afraid the location is too far for them to sense immediately but if you'd prefer waiting for a day or two then we could say for sure" said Shino.

"That's out of the question" said Shikamaru as everyone turned to look at him, "If you haven't noticed this is an Akatsuki base we're talking about they haven't sensed us yet but I'm sure in a a span of five to six hours they'll be aware of our presence, and noting the fact that we've all fought them before at some point they'd recognize where we'd come from and why we were there"

"So what do you propose we do?" asked Shizune.

"Bash the place down, best idea" said Kiba.

"Mmhmm, I could help with that, bashing is my specialty" said Chouji munching on a chocolate bar.

"I too would be of use in the aspect, my superior Taijutsu skills are the worst enemy of any brick or wooden structure" said Lee.

"With your luck it'll be made of steel or rubber" muttered Tenten under her breath as Kiba sniggered.

"Or we could do a bit of checking out first" suggested Ino.

"That's a good option, but the problem with that is that we'd have to get closer because both Sai and Shino need to be close to the base in order to get Intel" said Kakashi.

Everyone fell into deep thought.

"I guess we have no option but to storm the base" said Kakashi as Shizune cried out in protest.

"We'll be killed if we just barge in there; goodness knows what traps they've set for us and…"

"We're not that easy to be taken down Shizune-San, on top of that we have you, Ino and Katsuyu to heal us if anything goes wrong, if need be we can even contact Tsunade-Sama for reinforcement with the reverse-summoning seal she gave us" said Kakashi.

"But storming in will not help in our objective of rescuing Sakura" said Shizune as Kakashi gave up.

"Hmm, I think we should go along with Kakashi-sensei's plan, however to take Shizune-San's point into view we could have a diversion" said Shikamaru.

"You mean while half of us distract them the other half rescue Sakura?" asked Neji as Shikamaru nodded.

"That's a good plan, is that okay Shizune-San?" asked Kakashi as Shizune sighed.

"I don't like it but it seems to be the only thing we can come up with, very well then, how do we divide ourselves?" she asked.

"Those who are more destructive in nature must cause the distraction while the others who are more discreet must find Sakura" said Kakashi.

"Right so I propose this, me, Kakashi-sensei, Kiba, Chouji, Lee, Shizune-San, Shino, Neji and Tenten you guys cause the diversion while Sai, Hinata and Ino rescue Sakura" said Shikamaru.

"Will you guys be okay? I mean there should at least be one jounin on your side? Perhaps Neji ought to be…"

"No, they'll be fine, but it'll be up to you to make sure most of them are out fighting, also you can't let them beat you, trying delaying as long as you can without getting seriously hurt, Ino'll be with them so they have a medic, you guys need the more experienced medic because the rougher job goes to you, also this way they have Hinata and Sai on their side and they can search for Sakura and find her faster using ink animals or the Byakugan" said Shikamaru as everyone nodded at his reasoning.

"I'm afraid I mustn't be split unevenly, Tsunade-Sama has told me that two of me must stay with each unit" said Katsuyu.

"Right, Katsuyu stays two each, also Shikamaru, I want you to take this" said Kakashi throwing over a small scroll.

"That's the reverse summoning scroll Tsunade-Sama gave us, if you're in a really bad state then you can get help" said Kakashi as Shikamaru nodded.

"Right then everybody, best of luck, as soon as you've got Sakura you must escape with her before doing anything, Sai, you can fly her off can't you?" asked Kakashi as Sai nodded.

"Remember the mission folks, Sakura's retrieval, best of luck and lets do this" said Kakashi as they all leaped towards the base.

They moved through the desert as night fell. Suddenly Hinata and Neji halted.

"There, two hundred meters away, the entrance to the hideout is there, and it's protected by some sort of barrier which looks like it triggers another barrier" said Neji.

"Great, so all we have to do is destroy the first barrier before those Akatsuki guys come crawling out" said Kiba.

"T-t-that's c-correct, however the b-barrier looks t-tough to b-b-reak" said Hinata.

"That's no trouble, I've broken real bad barrier before, it won't be a problem at all" said Kakashi as they arrived the spot which seemed like any other spot on the desert.

"If you take one step forward you're directly on the barrier" said Neji.

"We should just put Chouji on the barrier, it'll break automatically" said Kiba.

"What was that? Are you trying to suggest that I'm fat?" demanded Chouji.

"Now, now, stop it. This is no time for teasing Kiba, are you ready Kakashi-San?" asked Shizune.

"More ready than I'll ever be" said Kakashi as he raised his arms, "Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide" said Kakashi as he struck the ground hard as the veins in his hand became prominent.

The ground before them cracked but did not break. Instead a green barrier appeared over it and shattered into pieces causing a larger red barrier to appear.

"If I'm not wrong this thing's going to explode real soon" said Shizune backing away.

"Damn it, they're smart, one would think the first barrier would trigger an alarm but it triggers a bomb, ingenious" said Kakashi as they all began running in the opposite direction as the red barrier became more concentrated and a white explosions occurred that covered a radius of twenty kilometers catching everyone in it.

Suddenly the explosion seemed to get drawn to a certain area and with a image of distortion it disappeared leaving everyone shocked but unhurt.

"That was close" said Kakashi as he deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Was that Kamui?" asked Shizune in awe as Kakashi nodded.

"You warped in that huge explosion, impressive" said an unknown voice as everyone's attention was turned back to the hideout entrance where six cloaked figures stood.

"Be on your guard everyone, Shikamaru, get ready to slip in whenever you get the chance" said Kakashi.

"Right" said Shikamaru as the smoke cleared.

"Well whaddya know, it's those half baked pests from Konoha again, I see that ridiculous green guy decided to back out" drawled Kisame.

"I was so sure it was bounty, oh well, I suppose I'll have to make do with whatever's available" said Kakuzu.

"Damn fucking brats, I'll rip there guts out" cried Hidan.

"Hatake Kakashi, I've been waiting a long time to get my revenge on you, you owe me an entire arm, hm" cried Deidara.

Sasori and Konan kept quiet.

"It's unfortunate this should have happened when Pain, Tobi and Zetsu were away, Kisame, Sasori, are Akane and Itachi with the girl?" asked Konan.

"Yeah she's covered, now we gotta take these guys out" said Kisame drawing Samehada.

"I agree to that" said Deidara his hands disappearing in his pouch as Sasori merely took out four scrolls.

Suddenly Kakashi appeared behind Kisame and kicked him forward but the shark-man dug his sword in the sandy ground, turned and spat a jet of water out of his mouth.

Konan rose into the air with her paper wings alongside Deidara who flew towards Kakashi who was now fighting alongside Shizune against Kisame..

"Oh yeah I'm so gonna bathe in blood tonight" cried Hidan as Chouji and Shino surrounded him.

Konan found herself being surrounded by many weapons and then being tightly wrapped with almost invisible strings.

"You'll have it tough against me" said Tenten Neji threw four explosive tags on Konan who countered by sending a paper sword through each of them.

Kakuzu found himself facing Shikamaru and Lee who had looks of grim determination on their faces.

Sasori meanwhile found himself facing Shizune and Kiba, the former of whom had a rather worried look on her face knowing Sasori's infamous reputation as a Puppet master and his knowledge on poisons.

"Super Multi Sized Technique" cried Chouji as he grew into a giant and all the Akatsuki members fighting were momentarily distracted.

Using this opportunity Sai, Hinata and Ino slipped into the gaping hole of the entrance. The only one who noticed them was Sasori who decided it wasn't a problem because they would be killed by Akane or Itachi inside.

"_This is it, an all out battle against Akatsuki, I hope we can hold them off till Sai and the others get hold of Sakura"_ thought Kakashi as the sound of battle cries filled the moon bathed desert.

* * *

Sasuke had never been so utterly fed up in his entire life.

"I'm so close, I can sometimes hear them taking his name, he's only a few steps away and yet I'm still unable to get out of this freaking cage!" he muttered to himself when suddenly rage took over him and his slammed the metal cage which was like a box with his Chidori.

"_Damn it, damn it all, I'll get out of here, I'm going to kill you Itachi"_ thought Sasuke as he continued using Chidori and the underground basement echoed with cries of frustration.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. Next chapter will be an all out battle chapter. That's gonna take some time to write so please bear with me and do review!


	33. S Rank Mission: Rescue Sakura Part I

Hiya everybody and welcome to the thirty-third chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. This chapter deals with Akatsuki vs. Retrieval Squad. This is probably going to be the most problematic chapter in the entire story because a lot of people and going to be strewn here and there fighting random Akatsuki members. Plus Sakura's side most not be ignored as well. Will she be rescued? You'll know if you read.

* * *

Kakashi Hatake had fought many dangerous and powerful ninja in his life. But being faced by two Akatsuki members one of whom was carrying a sword larger than him while the other could blow up the entire desert, Kakashi began to regret he hadn't become a bookshop owner like he had planned as a small child..

He glanced around and saw everyone seemed to be busy with their own opponents.

"_I have to lead these two away from this spot somehow"_ thought Kakashi as he used a smoke bomb and began streaking towards the west.

Before he could get very far tiny, spider like bombs began dropping around him like little pieces of hail.

"Katsu!" came the cry from above as Kakashi used a substitution jutsu and escaped from its effects but immediately had to duck as Kisame swung Samehada at him.

As he got up he quickly performed hand seals and then he dove into the sand and disappeared underground.

"Hmm, the Hiding Like a Mole Technique, not bad, hm" said Deidara as Kisame grunted.

"Earth Release: Underground Shark Voyage" said Kisame as he sank into the ground and protruded his Samehada which looked like a shark's dorsal fin as he chased Kakashi underground.

Kakashi appeared out of the ground a little distance away but to his shock he found a miniature dragon right before him.

"Katsu!" cried Deidara as the bomb exploded.

Just then Kisame appeared out of the ground and slashed in the smoke as Kakashi fell back visibly unscathed excepting for a slash on his shoulder and a few bruises.

"I see, you went back underground before my bomb could explode and came out again when Kisame approached you, you tried taking advantage of the smoke so Kisame would miss but you obviously failed" leered Deidara as Kisame laughed.

"A bit of smoke is not going to be enough for _me_ to miss a target Hatake Kakashi, to assume that would be foolish"

"_Their double teaming me, I guess I'll have to alter the battlefield a little bit"_ thought Kakashi as he performed hand seals but before he could complete them Deidara's dragon spat another miniature dragon bomb out of it's mouth.

It kept shooting the smaller dragons as Deidara screamed with laughter, "When those hit you you'll realize how art is such a bang, hm!"

"Lightning Release: Beast Running Technique" cried Kakashi as he pointed his fist at Deidara's dragons and soon a huge animal made of raw chakra shot out of his palm and collided with the incoming bombs and exploded with a huge light and sound.

"Hidden Mist Technique" cried Kakashi as a dense fog settled over that part of the desert.

"Making the battlefield more homely eh? Well sadly for you, it's homely for me as well" said Kisame grinning.

"Not homely enough, without any water nearby you can't use any of your famed water techniques and have to rely only on your kenjutsu" stated Kakashi.

"I suppose that's correct but then again, I always preferred fighting with Samehada than using jutsu" said Kisame as he slashed at Kakashi with the sword.

Kakashi drew a katana from his punch and countered but upon contact with Samehada it was neatly sliced into two pieces and went flying.

The two kept exchanging blows for sometime and the sound of metal hitting the bandaged Samehada could be heard from outside the mist.

"Drat, I just had to choose the best swordfighter in Akatsuki didn't I" thought Kakashi as he dodged a hit and then swiped his feet to try and trip Kisame but failed.

Just then he heard a chuckle as Kisame suddenly retreated back underground.

"_I can't go underground because the Shark guy'll get me, I can't leave the fog or else that bomber guy will get me, they've got me trapped, but why did he retreat back underground? Wait…the Bomber guy!"_ thought Kakashi suddenly as he realized why Kisame had fallen back.

He heard the soft thunk of something landing a little distance away from him and quickly performed hand seals before the cry came and the C3 bomb thrown by Deidara at a random spot in the mist exploded with huge effects.

* * *

Sakura listened the all the thuds and bangs that was happening aboveground. Her heart longed to smash down the door and help her friends but the chakra restrainers put on her by Sasori did their job well and Sakura found herself feeling weak and empty.

Suddenly the door opened with a soft click and Itachi stepped inside. He quietly shut and locked the door before placing a seal on it. He then turned to Sakura who had retreated to the farthest corner of the room.

He walked right up to her and held her chin up with one finger before kneeling down beside her.

"Why do you run from me?" he asked softly, his breath tickling her ear.

"_Is this guy crazy? He's pretending as if he's not a crazed murderer who killed his entire clan, is a member of the most feared criminal organization and is probably stronger than Tsunade-Sama herself, as if that wasn't enough reason to make anyone go on a marathon in the opposite direction, and now I'm stuck in the same room as him with no means of escaping"_ thought Sakura gulping.

Aloud she said, "I don't want to be anywhere near you, Uchiha Itachi!" as vehemently as she could. Itachi merely smiled a little.

It was at this moment that Sakura noted the difference between Itachi and Sasuke. Whenever Sasuke smiled, or rather smirked, then that smirk would hold very little compassion or love, but that was different for Itachi, even after living for years with the most dangerous criminals of the Shinobi world his smile still held a surprising innocence and affection.

"Besides, if you want to be near me now then you needn't have walked away like a jerk when that mad, thing was trying to rape me in the hallway" said Sakura trying to set up a defense hoping that Itachi would get annoyed and leave.

But surprisingly a sad look came over his face, "You're right, I should have helped you, but that would have put both of us in a worse situation, I apologize" he said quietly when suddenly there was a louder burst from above.

* * *

Hidan laughed manically as Chouji tried unsuccessfully to crush him under the Giant Meat tank jutsu but Hidan merely dodged and slashed at Chouji with his scythe.

Just as he dodged Hidan found himself being bound by bugs and being lifted into the air when suddenly Chouji's hair turned spikier and the meat tank turned into a spiked meat tank and ran neatly over Hidan.

"All right, we got him" cried Chouji uncurling and landing beside Shino.

"No, it'll take more than that, remember Asuma-Sensei actually died fighting this guy" said Shino.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I was there, and I'm going to make him pay" said Chouji darkly.

Then suddenly Hidan got up, bruised and bleeding but still laughing.

"What the fuck? Was that all you got you fat lump of shit! You're worse than you were before. And what's with the fucking bugs? We in an apiary or what?" he screeched.

"Did…you…just…call…me…fat?" growled Chouji with clenched teeth.

"You're a fool, _bees_ live in apiaries not bugs" stated Shino calmly.

Suddenly Hidan appeared behind Shino.

"Careful, Shino, don't let him get you're blood on him" cried Chouji as Hidan slashed Shino on the back but to his surprise 'Shino' turned into many bugs and flew away.

"Hidden Technique: Spindle Formation" said Shino as the bugs attacked Hidan in a spiraling manner and pierced him through the stomach. Just then Chouji enlarged his palm and slammed it down on Hidan.

"Squashed like a bug…oops, sorry, Shino" said Chouji.

Just then Hidan's scythe pierced through Chouji's palm and he cried out in pain as blood splattered on Hidan's face.

"Mmm, a bit greasy but it'll do. Cursed Technique: Death Controlling Possessed Blood" cried Hidan licking Chouji's blood and drawing the mark of Jashin on the red stained sand.

"_So sand does become red when blood falls on it, I guess it's true that puppet bastard stained an entire desert red with his puppets thus resulting in his nickname"_ he thought as Chouji and Shino stared in horror as Hidan's skin became black and white in a skeletal pattern.

Hidan took his scythe and pierced it through his leg as Chouji's leg also started bleeding.

"I'll torture you a bit before killing you nice and slowly" cried Hidan when suddenly bugs flew towards him and surrounded him.

Using a very rapid motion he sliced away all the bugs but more flew towards him in a sharp arrow shape.

"You sure you wanna stab me? Your fat friend might not like it much you know" said Hidan as Shino realized that Hidan and Chouji were now linked and any damage done to Hidan would happen to Chouji as well, because Hidan was immortal no harm would be done to him since he relished pain.

"_Damn it what am I going to do now"_ thought Shino as Chouji gave another cry of pain.

"Feel the pain, relish the pain, embrace the pain, love the pain, hate the pain, cry out with pain, you're going to die soon so GIVE IN TO THE PAIN!" cried Hidan.

* * *

Shikamaru and Lee were having a very tough time now that Kakuzu had released his Earth Grudge Fear and the five animal-like creatures now stood before him with their grotesque shapes and masks.

"So we meet again, I remember only narrowingly escaping with my life in our previous encounter. You will find me a more formidable opponent this time mainly because you don't have Hatake Kakashi or the Kyuubi Jinchurki to help you" said Kakuzu as Shikamaru fought to keep his rage in.

"You get ready to die for real this time then, you won't be able to escape" cried Shikamaru.

Three of the hearts flew towards him whereas the remaining two surrounded Lee.

Shikmaru performed hand seals and then cried out, "Shadow Imitation Jutsu" as the three heart stopped in their tracks held by the shadow in the moonlight.

Suddenly Kakuzu himself appeared behind Shikamaru but a powerful kick from Lee which he blocked with his earth spear sent him back a few steps.

Just then the hearts following Lee stopped and surrounded him.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage and Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work Jutsu" cried Kakuzu as one heart created a large vortex of wind around Lee and the other released a small ball of fire from it's mouth which turned into a fire storm after mixing with the wind chakra.

"Lee!" cried Shikamaru before a heart created a water wall around him and another shot lightning from its mouth.

When the smoke cleared Shikamaru's place had been taken by a log and the real Shikamaru appeared behind Kakuzu.

"Shadow Neck Bind" he said as his shadow connected with Kakuzu's and inched towards his throat.

"Earth Release: Earth Spear" said Kakuzu as the shadow closed around his neck but failed to press it tight.

Just then the lightning heart spat another bolt of lightning at Shikamaru and he quickly dodged but he failed to see the water element mask behind him and blood splattered on the sand.

Meanwhile Lee was not doing well against the fire and wind element masks which kept collaborating their skills to gain effective combinations.

"_This is terrible, I'll have to pick this up a notch if I am to preserve my youth and rescue Sakura-San"_ thought Lee as he suddenly disappeared and appeared behind the wind mask and he kicked it towards the fire mask to they collided heavily with each other.

Then punching them so fast that flames began to appear he pushed them right through the ground and into the base below.

"_It's a good thing I learnt the Asa Kujaku from Gai-sensei"_ thought Lee peering down the hole as his arms ached from the effort.

Suddenly a feeling of dread filled him and suddenly a raging inferno appeared out of the hole.

* * *

Sakura was feeling strange. She was sitting curled up on the bed with Itachi next to her. The lights were out and moonlight came in through the window flooding the room with silver light.

"_I feel scared but still reassured by his presence, I wonder why"_ she thought as she lifted her head.

"Hey, why do you keep trying to reel me in with affection, is that orders from the Leader as well?" demanded Sakura looking a lot more courageous than she actually felt.

"Why do you suppose, even a half minded person would be able to figure that out. Think Sakura Haruno, you're dear to my brother I gather, so I simply made you mine so that he can feel how more miserable his life is" said Itachi.

The world around Sakura seemed to shatter into pieces as Itachi muttered those words.

"_That's all? Am I just a means of making Sasuke's life more awful than it already is? What a fool I am. I'm the biggest, dumbest idiot in this whole world, what did I think he actually liked me? He was actually better than everyone said. I'm a fool, a fool, a big idiotic donkey!"_ she cursed herself mentally.

"It's a pity Sasuke isn't here right now to see how much more I will be taking from him by making you min…"

_**SLAP!**_

Ignoring the pain from the chakra binders Sakura's hand streaked across the air and hit Itachi with a force greater than she had imagined. His cheeks turned red as Sakura's enraged form hovered above him.

"You're the worst piece of stinking shit I've ever seen in my entire life, I just hope Sasuke can kill you fast enough and I hope you suffer agony, you homicidal freak" cried Sakura mentally trying to restrain herself from making him angrier.

Itachi did not reply but merely got up and pinned Sakura to the wall and pressed his forehead against hers so their lips were almost toughing.

"You are mine, and you're just a tool I've created for obtaining Sasuke's misery, and now you've tested my patience enough" said Itachi as his other hand grabbed Sakura's hands and pinned them on the wall.

Just then there was a loud knocking…more of a banging on the door to the room.

"Hey, what the hell, who sealed this door, open it right now Harino or Haruna or whatever your name is" cried a voice from outside as Sakura's face grew slightly relieved.

"Don't be too happy, the door is sealed. Not many would be able to break through it" whispered Itachi as he pressed his body against Sakura's as she felt his warm breath on her neck and nape.

"No, please don't" pleaded Sakura shuddering as Itachi smirked, his smirk this time held not a trace of his earlier compassion.

"You're going to regret raising your hand on me" he said as Sakura unsuccessfully tried to push him away as he grabbed her and threw her on the bed and climbed over her.

"_Why does this happen every time he touches me? Why do I feel like I'm melting every time I feel his warm breath on me? Why does he have this…effect on me? Why?"_ thought Sakura as Itachi put one of his hand on her stomach.

Just then the hammering grew louder and louder and with a huge crashed the door went down.

Outside stood Akane with her leg half-raised signifying she had just kicked down the door and look of anger on her face which changed to astonishment as she saw the scene.

"What the heck do you think you're doing in my room Itachi Uchiha" growled Akane as she grew red from either embarrassment or anger.

Itachi gave her a slightly annoyed glance.

"_I guess he's angry that I keep interrupting his moments with pinkie"_ she thought as he released Sakura and ran his eyes over the places were his handiwork still existed namely: her neck and wrists.

Akane saw the bruises as well and her heated glare turned to one of cold anger. She looked at Itachi through her glasses the moonlight caught on them and they glinted, hiding her eyes.

"Leader has asked me to…"

"Don't say another word! The Leader has by no means asked you to pin down the girl to the bed and take advantage of her vulnerable position, you maniac. I have come to tell you that my outside shift is done and it's your turn now so do us both a favor and get the hell out of my room right now before I break something like your neck" cried Akane whom Sakura had never seen so angry before.

Itachi narrowed his eyes dangerously but Akane did not budge from her position.

"If you would be kind enough to leave now, we're kind of in an emergency situation here, if you've got a problem take it up with Konan when she returns, now just the get hell out of my room" screamed Akane as Itachi quietly walked out.

Akane kicked away some broken pieces of wood and sat down on a chair muttering under her breath.

Sakura gave her a nervous glance. Was the woman actually angry because Itachi had tried to take advantage of her?

"Is there something wrong with my face today?" snapped Akane as Sakura shook her head.

Just then there was a shout from outside accompanied by the sound of a bomb bursting.

"_That Blonde-Bimbo's going all out I see, never knew how to be discreet, but then again his style of fighting can't be discreet"_ thought Akane, _"I wonder how Sasori-San is holding up, he's probably fine, not many people can overcome him. Damn it why did I have to be stuck down here guarding the girl, I wanted to help Sasori-San! But then again he can probably handle it fine without my help" _

_

* * *

_That's another chapter. The rest of the fighting and (possible) rescuing shall be continued in the next chapter. See you guys and do review!


	34. S Rank Mission: Rescue Sakura Part II

Hey guys. Looks like you all didn't like the previous chapter much huh? I hardly got any reviews. That's a bit sad but still. I hope you like this chapter better and if you do then please, please, review!

* * *

Konan docked and dodged as Tenten threw numerous projectiles at her from seemingly nowhere. As soon as she reached a safe position Neji would strike it causing the entire place to disintegrate.

_"The girl is the weaker of the two, she's distracting me with those weapons and traps while the boy hides in the shadows and strikes when he gets the opportunity, they plan to get rid of me in one shot I see"_ she thought when suddenly the ground beneath her turned into a greenish yin-yang sign.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms" cried Neji striking all of Konan's sixty-four vital chakra points.

"Yes! You did it Neji!" cried Tenten as Konan's body fell to the ground.

Neji leaped back, his eyes vary.

"No, that was too easy, no Akatsuki member would go down so easily" he said when Konan's body turned into paper and flew away.

"You're more intelligent than the girl I see" said Konan from behind Tenten as the girl jumped away and threw several shuriken at the blue-haired woman.

Neji to his shock had found himself covered in paper from his legs onwards.

"Forget it" stated Konan as Tenten found herself covered in paper as well, "My Dance of the Shikigami will restrict you of every movement you can think of"

Tenten struggled and tried to reach for her scroll but just then the paper tightened and she found her ribs being crushed. "What is the purpose of your attack on Akatsuki. I know Konoha will not be foolish enough to attack without any firm reason, is it because you wish to reclaim Haruno Sakura? Or perhaps it's because of the other individual?"

Neji frowned, _"Other individual? Who could she be talking about?"_ he thought when suddenly there was a huge explosion a little distance away and for a moment, Konan's attention on them wavered.

Taking use of the opportunity Neji cried, "Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher" as the paper tore away from him and a huge crater formed in the area where he had been bound.

Tenten shred the paper into pieces by controlling the tiny shurikens in her body with the very tip of her finger.

Konan looked back and suddenly Neji appeared in front of her and stuck out his hand.

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm" he cried.

Just then Tenten appeared above Konan and threw out a green scroll with yellow borders.

"Manipulated Tools: Heavenly Chain of Destruction" she cried as hundreds of weapons rained down upon Konan at the same moment.

As the smoke cleared Tenten landed next to Neji.

"Do you think we got her? That was our best combo without Lee" she said as Neji glanced at the smoke through his Byakugan.

"No, she's still there, injured perhaps but she's not going down just yet" he said as suddenly hundreds of paper shuriken and kunai flew out of the smoke towards Neji and Tenten.

"Quick!" cried Neji, wrapping his arms around Tenten and crying out, "Kaiten" as he began revolving with a whirlwind of chakra from which all the paper weapons deflected.

Just then huge paper spikes rose out of the ground towards the spinning Neji.

He quickly stopped and Tenten jumped into the air and summoned a huge shield of metal which she slammed in the ground before Neji as the paper failed to pierce it.

As Konan launched in for another attack her heart missed a beat and her eyes widened in shock as a familiar chakra appeared somewhere on the battlefield.

* * *

Sasori had to admit the woman fighting him had extensive knowledge of poisons and excellent healing techniques so that every hit he had landed on her or her companion had been healed within seconds.

"_But using medical ninjutsu for so long must get taxing as well so she'll be out of chakra before long, then it'll be the dog-user I'll have to worry about"_ thought Sasori changing his attention to Kiba who had so far destroyed three of his puppets with various techniques.

"Come on Akamaru, we can't just let Shizune-San keep healing us, we need to land some huge scratches on this guy," he said as Akamaru barked as then they both disappeared.

Kiba appeared a little distance from Sasori who raised his massive puppet's arm which shot thousands of poisoned senbons at the incoming boy.

Just before they could make contact Kiba disappeared and Sasori felt something wet his hair and he realized that Akamaru had urinated on him.

"Right, now that he's marked with Dynamic Marking we can get him whenever we want right Akamaru?" cried Kiba as Akamaru barked again.

"Be careful Kiba-kun, Chiyo-Sama of the Sand almost lost her life trying to get rid of Akasuna no Sasori and yet he stands before us, this person is a very dangerous individual" cried Shizune when suddenly another puppet sprung up before the larger one that shielded Sasori.

It opened its mouth and a huge inferno of flames shot out of its mouth.

"Water Release: Water Wall Jutsu" cried Shizune as a huge wall of water rose up before her and blocked the fire but just then a huge lance shot towards her from another puppet.

Before it could make contact Kiba used Garoga (Fang Wolf Fang) to counter it and then shot towards Sasori destroying two of the smaller puppets and moving in a spiraling motion towards the larger puppet.

"You won't be able to pierce through him, I would suggest you retreat unless you want a massive concussion" echoed Sasori's voice from behind the large puppet.

Kiba ignored the warning and moved full tilt towards the large puppet. Just before making contact he turned upwards and then retreated back.

Sasori smirked but just then Shizune smiled too and Sasori realized that the puppet was full of paper bombs and Kiba had already taken a U-Turn and was once more hurtling towards the puppet just as the bombs denoted with a huge explosion.

Just the explosions stopped Kiba smashed through it and Sasori jumped upwards as senbons rained down upon Shizune and Kiba both of whom fell to the ground due to the immediate reaction of the poison.

"You first pretended to spray me with urine but actually marked the vital spots of the puppet, then you falsely attacked me with that spinning attack while the woman embedded hundreds of paper bombs on the puppet, taking a U-Turn you returned a real attack but since the wood was weakened you could break through the puppet, very impressive, a pity but, it took me three weeks to perfect the use of such a large puppet" said Sasori as Kiba slowly stood up.

"It's no use, my poison will slowly consume you, and nobody can heal you right now since your companion has fainted or perhaps is dead" said Sasori looking at the unconscious Shizune.

"You're wrong. She spent up too much chakra that's all, she won't die that easily. Do not underestimate my Mistress's apprentice" said a soft female voice as Kiba smirked and Sasori glared at him.

"I didn't detect a third person here" he growled as Kiba laughed.

"Well I wouldn't call her much of a person. What do you say you are Katsuyu-San" asked Kiba as a small slug crawled out from his jacket.

Sasori's eyes narrowed, "I see, yes, I have heard from my Grandmother before I left, of the Legendary Sanin, already I have been partnered with one who was a traitor and now it seems as if the Familiar* of another had appeared to aid you, that is indeed a clone of Katsuyu? Summon of Godaime Hokage Tsunade…"

"You jabber too much, quit blabbering and fight" said Kiba picking Katsuyu of his shoulder and throwing her away right onto the body of Shizune.

"You could have been a little gentler Kiba-San" said Katsuyu indignantly as Kiba merely smirked.

"I've had enough playing around, get ready to repent for your stubbornness" said Sasori as he summoned the puppet of his Grandmother.

Kiba and Akamaru used the Passing Fang Technique and began spinning tremendously fast as they shot towards Sasori.

"If I can land a perfect hit he'll be out for good" thought Kiba, "Fine then I'll finish him in one shot"

Sasori glared and the Chiyo puppet released a huge beam of light which hit Kiba.

Sasori turned away, "That will do it for him, I had better kill the woman, she's more dangerous in certain ways" when suddenly to his immense shock Kiba and Akamaru still using passing Fang appeared but this time there were four of them.

'Could he have cloned them? No wait…this is…a Genjutsu, the boy is too foolish to be able to use such an advanced genjutsu in which case it must be the woman" thought Sasori as he quickly dispelled the Genjutsu.

But to his surprise two Passing Fangs still moved towards him.

"_But…I saw only one when he formed it, so that must mean, he and the dog can perform it alone as well?"_ thought Sasori as both of the spinning fangs arrived beside Sasori and hit each other crushing Sasori in the middle.

Kiba spat blood in shock as he saw Sasori kneeling on the ground slightly injured but his hands had turned into wood and were not attacked to the elbow but instead seemed to be just hovering near them. The palms were about as large as Chouji's when he used Mega Palm Thrust and they had Kiba and Akamaru in their firm grasp.

* * *

Sakura stared at Akane now and then and seemed to have noticed certain changes over the woman.

For once her eyes which were usually furiously flashing with energy and passion were now hidden behind the moonlit glinting glasses. Occasionally when she moved her head and Sakura could see her eyes they were cold and filled with hatred for something which Sakura couldn't imagine.

"Tell me Haruno Sakura" said Akane suddenly breaking the silence of the room, "Do you know of a man named Danzou Shimura?"

Sakura gaped at Akane, _"Why is she asking me something so vague and off-point all of a sudden?"_

"Well? Do you? Do you know of the man who goes by the name of Danzou Shimura?" asked Akane whose voice was also colder than usual and steelier.

"N-no, I've never met him personally but I've heard of him, he's in charge of the division of the Anbu known as the Root and…"

"_Wait a minute, why the hell am I blurting confidential stuff to an Akatsuki member all of a sudden?"_ thought Sakura biting her tongue.

"**Because for some weird reason unknown even to me, you trust her"** said Inner Sakura.

_"I…trust…her? No that can't be. She's... an Akatsuki member. An S-Ranked Criminal"_ thought Sakura in shock.

"And? And what?" questioned Akane sharply.

"And he's known to have a rivalry with the late Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage, also with Tsunade-Sama, because she was his student" said Sakura.

"I see" replied Akane as the room once more plunged into silence.

"_This…is not usual. Usually I'm able to jabber all sorts of stuff with her…wait no, she's not my best friend or something that I should be jabbering with her but still...Perhaps...Arrggghhh"_ Sakura cried out mentally.

Just then there was a noise down the hall and Akane immediately sprang up and stood beside the broken door.

"Are you sure she's here?" asked a male voice as a soft female voice replied.

"H-hai, I-I can sense h-her p-presence here"

"_Sai and Hinata"_ thought Sakura feeling relieved that her friends had found her but also feeling scared for them as she knew how cruel Akane could be in battle.

"_Why can't Hinata sense Akane's presence as well? She's not out of range or anything...unless"_ thought Sakura when she realized which a shock that Akane had put Hinata under a genjutsu just by hearing her voice and visualizing her position.

"_I have to warn Sai somehow"_ thought Sakura desperately when suddenly there was a cry of pain and then silence.

Just then Akane jumped back as the wall exploded sending bricks flying which were deflected by a barrier of Akane's.

Almost at once Akane was surrounded by hundreds of black snakes crawling up her skin and into the cloak.

Just then five huge lions surrounded her and she glanced at Sakura beside whom was standing a pale young man wearing a midriff-baring shirt and black pants.

The lions pounced on her but a circle of fluid formed around her and rose up like a cylinder which spun thus deflecting the lions, throwing them through the walls.

Meanwhile Akane herself melted into fluid to get rid of the snakes and then sank into the ground.

Sai knelt down beside Sakura and then removed her chakra restrainers. He quickly slipped a clone of Katsuyu to Sakura.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly as Sakura nodded. Katsuyu set to work healing her wounds and replenishing her chakra.

Just then Hinata came in limping slightly, she caught sight of Sakura and her eyes lit up.

"Hinata!" cried Sakura as Hinata limped up to her.

"I-I'm glad we f-found you, Sakura-San" said Hinata as Sakura glanced at her leg.

"Oh that's n-nothing, just a l-little precaution a-a-against the genjutsu, by the w-way, isn't there anybody g-guarding you?" asked Hinata.

"There was, but she just sank through the floor when I attacked her" said Sai, "We'd better not stick around here, the reinforcement scroll given by Kakashi-sensei has already been used, that means they're having trouble above ground so we need to escape as fast as possible.

They all trudged out. Sai supporting Sakura who was still healing.

Just at the end of the doorway however stood Akane who did hand signs.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Jutsu" she cried as a Chinese-dragon made of fire flew towards them as Hinata jumped in front them and cried out, 'Kaiten!" as she spun around and the dragon disappeared.

But just then the earth below them turned muddy and swampy.

_"The woman is equally efficient in lightning, fire, earth and after release, that's a considerable feat, but the jelly like substance she uses, it's something different, it's strange somehow"_ thought Sai.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld" said Akane as all three of them found themselves knee deep in mud.

Hinata struck the ground on which she was almost on level with, with her Empty Palm and it started to crack all the way to where Akane stood but then, "Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu"

The wall of solid mud rose before her and the ground stopped cracking beyond that.

Turning into fluid Akane slipped in through the cracks and now walked towards them.

Just then a huge flare lit up the area as a ball of flame struck the area which Akane hurriedly vacated and then exploded.

"Water Release: Lesser Orb of Water Jutsu" said Sai quickly creating a small orb of water and mixing it in the swamp to make it less sticky and dense. He and Hinata pulled themselves out and then helped Sakura up.

Just then Akane appeared behind Sakura and grabbed her and then re-appeared in her former position. Grabbing Katsuyu off Sakura's shoulder she threw her away.

Just then Akane felt a sword lightly digging her back.

"I can set this sword aflame and then stab you with it, you won't have time to retaliate, unless you let go of the girl right now" said a deep, velvet voice.

Akane's eyes widened in shock, "Uchiha Itachi! What the hell do you think you're doing? Have you lost all hold of your senses?" cried Akane and hurriedly released Sakura as the sword dug a little more into her back.

Sakura ran to Sai and Hinata and stared at the impassive eyes of Uchiha Itachi which were now blazing red with the sharingan.

"I hope you'll accept this as my apology, Sakura Haruno" said Itachi when suddenly Akane turned to liquid and escaped. A blob however shot up and enveloped his arms.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll begin by recapturing the girl right now!" growled Akane as Itachi merely stared at his arms.

Sakura stared in shock at Itachi when Sai nudged her, signifying her to leave while the going was good.

"You're willing to sacrifice your arms for…Hey where do you think you're going" said Akane suddenly appearing before Sakura and raising her sword but her arms hesitated a moment before coming down. Taking advantage of a single moment's hesitation Itachi made many ravens fly towards Akane distracting her.

He walked over to Sakura in front of who stood Sai and Hinata.

"Let me pass" he said quietly as Akane began slashing down all the ravens.

When Sai and Hinata refused to budge Itachi's eyes met Sakura and she clearly saw a flash of grief in them as she pressed Sai and Hinata's hand and asked them to quietly stand aside.

Ignoring their shocked looks she gave them a small smile.

Hinata who had known Sakura longer recognized the look in her eyes and her own lavender eyes softened.

_"She trusts him, he's a murderer, but she still trusts him, I can do this much for her"_ thought Hinata as she stepped aside allowing Itachi to walk right up to Sakura.

"Why are you…letting me go?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not letting you go, someday I'll capture you again, and that day you won't ever want to leave my side, I can guarantee that. I will make you mine on that day" said Itachi as he softly pressed his lips onto Sakura's.

Just then there was a great explosion from above and the sound of some animal calling out. Sai sent a worried look above so Sakura quickly broke her kiss with Itachi and sent one last look at his eyes which were now again a deep onyx.

"Goodbye, Sakura" he said as the roof began to fall in.

Sakura was hustled away by Sai and Hinata who were still vary, the roof began to fall in but over the noise he still heard her mutter under her breath, "Goodbye, Itachi".

Just then huge rocks fell in blocking Itachi's path from Sakura's.

He simply stared at the rocks for a moment before he turned. His ravens lay dead at Akane's feet as she leaned on the wall.

"You damned idiot, not only did you let her get away you attacked me so that she could get away. That was downright betrayal" said Akane coldly.

"I know, but I could say the same of you" said Itachi walking past her, "You hesitated before striking her with your sword, also you pretended as if my ravens were hampering your movement when you could have very easily cut them down without any trouble and disappeared with the girl while my arms were being crushed, yet you did none of that, indirectly you have aided me in helping the girl escape"

"Have I? Silly me huh?" said Akane.

"Why don't you simply say you wanted to help her? You simply pretended with the ravens so you'd have a visible excuse as to why she escaped,"

"Of course, it's completely your fault. Let me tell you I'm pinning this whole thing onto you" replied Akane as she stared at the hole in the wall from where moonlight flooded in.

"I'm sure you are" replied Itachi, his tone held a little sadness and Akane gave him a long stare.

"Are you in love with the girl?" she asked.

"Hn" replied Itachi also looking up.

"Is that a yes or a no? Damn Uchiha!"

* * *

That's it for this chappie. Don't worry you'll be seeing lot of SakuxIta later. Right now I have to return to the Canon storyline and of course the debut of Uchiha Madara! Please review!


	35. S Rank Mission: Rescue Sakura Part III

Hi everyone and welcome to the thirty-fifth chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you all like it and will review!

* * *

Sai and Hinata rushed Sakura up the passage. Although the pinkette seemed happy to be back with them she still seemed slightly discontent. There was melancholy in her eyes as she fled the passage.

"Sakura-San, are y-you sure you're quite a-all right? Katsuyu-San is here, we c-can get you healed if n-need be" said Hinata holding up the small slug.

Sakura smiled and shook her head, "Arigatou Hinata-Chan, but I'm fine really, we need to get out of here first, before Akane informs the other members of Ita…Uchiha Itachi's betrayal" said Sakura as Sai noted the causal use of the elder Uchiha's name.

"If y-you say s-so" said Hinata as they reached the end of the passage.

"Wait here, I'll create something for us to ride on" said Sai as he created a large bird and hopped on.

"You take Sakura-San and leave Sai-kun, I'm going to help Neji nii-san and the others" said Hinata determinedly.

"Hinata-Sama, that's Akatsuki we're dealing with, besides they've used the Reinforcement Scroll so they must be doing fine with whatever reinforcement Hokage-Sama has sent" said Sai.

"I know, anyways we have to inform them that we've got Sakura so we can all escape without suffering any more casualties, I'll do it so please take Sakura-San to safety" said Hinata as Sai saw her point and pulled Sakura onto the bird.

"Even though she claims she's fine she's still devoid of almost every bit of her chakra. I doubt she'll be able to maintain consciousness for very long" thought Sai as Sakura leaned on him as the bird took of into the sky.

"Tsunade-Sama's orders were not to risk the long journey to Konoha immediately but to go to Sunagakure first, recuperate there and then return to Konoha, be sure to inform that to everybody Hinata-San" said Sai as the bird flew of towards the Village Hidden in Sand.

Hinata watched them fly off before turning back to the desert battlefield where it seems a powerful chakra had arrived. Running through the dust she collided heavily with something and fell back.

"Gomen" she said getting as she saw Gamakichi staring at her.

"You're one of Naruto-kun's summons. Is he here? Is he the reinforcement Tsunade-Sama sent?" asked Hinata feeling panic and joy at the same time.

"Nope, and you'd better get to the safety hold missy, that's where all the casualties are being treated by Shizune" said Gamakichi.

"But…but t-then who s-summoned you?" asked Hinata in surprise.

"Jiraiya. Toad Sage Jiraiya. Ever heard of him?" asked Gamakichi sounding bored as Gamabunta suddenly appeared in the dust and sliced one of Kakuzu's hearts into pieces.

"Jiraiya-Sama? I see s-so that's t-the backup T-tsunade Sama was talking a-about" said Hinata when suddenly an injured Kiba was thrown past her shoulders and hit the ground hard.

"Kiba-kun!" cried Hinata as she ran to his side.

"H-Hinata? You're here? Does that mean Sakura's safe?" asked Kiba through heavy pant and smiled when Hinata nodded.

"The pink haired girly is safe? Well you should have told me that you dumb girl. I'll have to tell Otou-San to stop fighting" cried Gamakichi rushing into the dust.

"Come on, we have to get to the place where Shizune-San and Katsuyu-San are healing Shikamaru and Lee, those two were toughed up the most. Kakashi-sensei had to use Kamui twice more to escape the bombs of that blonde guy who looks like Ino. Come to think of it, Ino's not been doing any fighting. What has she been doing?" babbled Kiba as he and Hinata ran towards a small dune.

"Ino-San is doing surveillance, she's our contact to Sunagakure and Konoha, she was specifically told not to enter the battle too much. Kiba-Kun, how many of you are fighting out there?" asked Hinata looking very worried.

"Me, Neji, Shino, Tenten and Jiraiya-Sama are the ones fighting. Chouji was nearly killed by the guy who killed Asuma-Sensei. Jiraiya-Sama trussed up that guy pretty well. He's knocked out. The woman and the red haired puppeteer guy I was fighting are the main problems, they simply don't go down. That puppet guy could be up to a Kage-Level Shinobi" said Kiba wincing as he rubbed his dislocated shoulder.

They reached an area where Shizune, Katsuyu and Ino were busy healing Kakashi, Shikamaru and Lee. Akamaru guarded the entrance and barked when Kiba came up.

Kakashi seemed to be suffering from chakra loss and his sharingan eye was bleeding profusely. Shikamaru had been cut in many places and quite a lot of his vital points had been hit. Lee's arms and legs were severely burnt but his face still upheld the mask of carefreeness.

"What happened to Chouji? Is he all right?" asked Kiba as Ino rushed over to heal him.

"Chouji's still unconscious. At this point this is all we can do for him. We'll need to have Tsunade-Sama look over him. If Jiraiya-Sama hadn't arrived when he did that monster would have killed Chouji just like he killed Asuma-Sensei" said Ino whose eyes had sunken and she seemed haggard.

"Everyone please listen, Sakura has been rescued. She's with Sai-San now and they're headed towards Sunagakutre as we speak. That's why we should escape as fast as possible. I've sent a message to those who are still fighting." Said Hinata as Kakashi stood up ignoring Katsuyu's protests.

"Yosh, everyone, Jiraiya-Sama will back us, everybody evacuate at once" said Kakashi.

"Who's carrying Chouji?" asked Shikamaru smirking.

Everyone looked at each other as if waiting for someone to volunteer. Even Lee did not spawn his usual nonsense on youth.

"That should be you seeing that you're the one who's least harmed" said Ino as Shikamaru gave her an incredulous look.

"Says the one who didn't fight at all. Do you know where that five hearted bastard sliced me? He sliced me in parts I didn't even know I have. Thanks for the lesson by the way, Shizune-San" said Shikamaru.

"I'll carry him. Let's just leave as fast as we…"

Kakashi couldn't finish as Gamabunta landed before them with Jiraiya on it carrying the unconscious bodies of Tenten and Shino. Neji stood beside him looking very tired and Gamakichi landed beside him.

"Hurry everyone. We've caught the puppeteer and Konan in a genjutsu. The five hearted guy and the voodoo guy are unconscious if not dead. The fish guy and the bomber will be here any minute if we don't hurry." said Jiraiya as Gamabunta picked up Chouji and tossed him on his back.

"Well at least that problem's solved" muttered Shikamaru as they all raced through the sand towards Sunagakure.

* * *

"Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable! How dare all of you useless simpletons not be able to face up against such a petty threat? And Itachi, you and Takigawa-San were supposed to be _guarding_ Haruno. What part of _guarding_ do you fools not understand" cried Pain as Konan, Akane, Sasori, Deidara, Kisame, Itachi, Kakuzu and Hidan stood lined up in front of him. Tobi and Zetsu stood on the sidelines watching.

"I've had reports on who was fighting who! Konan, Kakuzu, Hidan and Sasori you four couldn't hold up against two chuunins? Sasori, I know one of yours was a jounin but still I expected much better from you. Konan, I'm disappointed. Kakuzu and Hidan I am appalled. Kisame and Deidara, granted your opponent was Hatake Kakashi but still there was one of him and two of you. Deidara, what's your excuse, Kisame can still be pardoned because it was a disadvantageous terrain but you…why this was the best probable place for you to fight, answer me all of you" cried Pain as his ringed eyes glared in rage at every one of them.

He then moved to Akane and Itachi, "And you two. Itachi, what's all this I hear from Takigawa-San about you attacking her? Did you let the girl go on purpose? Answer me Uchiha Itachi" growled Pain's Deva Path.

Itachi glanced calmly at the ringed eyes before answering, "My apologies Leader-Sama. I was confused." He said as Pain glared at him, took a side glance at a certain masked individual and turned away.

"There's no other way. The girl knows way too much about us for me to be at rest. There is no other option. Two days later the Akatsuki will invade Konoha. Sakura Haruno must be recaptured, dead or alive under any circumstances. We will use this opportunity to obtain the Kyuubi as well. Tobi, Zetsu, Hidan, Kakuzu. You four will not participate in this." Said Pain as the four bowed slightly and went out.

"Invade Konoha? Are you serious?" asked Akane as Pain felt her chakra levels rise up. He then remembered her reason for joining Akatsuki: so that she could see Konoha destroyed.

"I remember your reason for joining Akatsuki, Akane Takigawa: Vengeance. We will go to Konoha to assassinate or recapture Haruno Sakura and capture the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. You will not take any hasty actions which will endanger Akatsuki and…"

"Shut up! If we go to Konoha I won't leave till it's a pile of dust, that's all there is to it" cried Akane as she turned and went out slamming the door with such force that it broke into pieces.

Pain sighed in frustration as Konan reassuringly pressed her hand on his shoulder.

"If I may Leader-Sama" said Sasori quietly as Pain nodded. Bowing to Pain, he left the room as well.

Sasori left and walked up to Akane's room. The door was still broken and he could hear crashes inside. Walking in he saw Akane ripping her pillow into pieces and then throwing it on the ground and jumping on top of it.

"Aren't you supposed to punch it a hundred times instead of performing wrestling moves on it?" asked Sasori.

"Go away" came the muffled cry.

Sasori walked up, grabbed Akane and pinned her to the wall.

"Now you know you don't mean that" he said as Akane blushed at her position.

"Let me go" she said quietly as Sasori shook his head. Akane began struggling and kicking.

"Let me go, I have to destroy things. I have to smash things. I have to watch as things break into pieces. Let me go, let me…mpphh" Akane's eyes widened in shock as Sasori's lips pressed themselves fiercely onto hers.

Dropping her hands in defeat she succumbed to his kiss and began fiercely kissing him back. Sasori poked his tongue out slightly signifying permission as Akane hesitantly opened her mouth.

The two kissed for some time before they separated to breathe.

"Have you calmed down now? You little spitfire?" asked Sasori as Akane nodded slightly. Seeing her sad eyes Sasori pulled her into a tight hug as Akane buried her face in his chest.

"I…I can still see their faces. Okaa-chan, Otou-Chan, Atsuko and Akio's. I have nightmares of them all hung up on trees with hundreds of knives piercing them and all of them begging for me to…help them and…" Akane burst into tears.

Sasori uncertainly patted her head, "Shh, don't cry. It's just a dream. I'm sure your parents wouldn't have wanted you to torture yourself like this"

"I can't help it. I still remember what those beasts did to my mother and sister. I can remember Otou-Chan's voice, telling us to remain in safety. I can hear Akio's screams. I don't know what to do! I want to destroy Konoha from its very roots but that means hurting a lot of innocent people. Then I'll be just as bad as they are won't I? No what am I saying? I'm Akatsuki. I'm ten times worse than…"

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence Akane" said Sasori sharply.

"I'm saying this only for you. I've been with you for almost a year now. I've seen that whatever you've done. Whomever you've killed, you've only done it as a loyal member of Akatsuki. Granted we're the largest criminals in the world but it shows your loyalty. You've never harmed the innocent. That shows you're just. Everyone you've tortured has been a great offender or has been a deceitful person. Even as a mercenary you told me you only hunted missing-ninja who betrayed their villages. You're no saint Akane, nobody is. But just because you're in Akatsuki doesn't mean you're as bad as people who rape and kill the defenseless" said Sasori stopping to breathe.

"Sasori-San" said Akane in astonishment as she found herself unable to say anything.

"Why don't we rest up? If we have to attack Konoha it'll take a lot of chakra" said Sasori.

"Please wait, there's something I must do first" said Akane biting her thumb and summoning a vicious looking eagle which had a red beak and keen eyes.

"What's this?" asked Sasori as the eagle gave him a glare.

'Don't talk as if I'm some sort of tribal decoration on your wall buddy. My beak is much redder than your hair" said the eagle in a clear voice as Akane smiled.

"This is Tori, my best summon and one of my closest friends, Tori, I need you to go to Ayako and Daisuke's place and fetch _it_ for me, will you?" asked Akane.

"Why do you want _it_? I thought _it_ was supposed to be used only in emergency situations." Said Tori.

"Do you think I've been sitting on my ass not doing any training this past year? I'm capable of much than I was last year, now quit arguing and fetch _it_. I need _it_ within two days" said Akane.

"Very well, I'll fetch _it_, but use _it_ well" said the eagle flying off through the window.

"What on earth was that about?" asked Sasori curiously.

"It's a secret. One which boys mustn't know of" replied Akane playfully.

"Oh really? Well I've got a question" said Sasori tackling Akane onto the bed, "Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

Akane blushed crimson.

"First tell me is it true that Deidara gave you a love letter and you two were a lovey-dovey couple before you died?" asked Akane slyly as Sasori glared.

"I hate untrue rumors you know that"

"I thought you hated waiting and…"

"Oh quit it. I'm sick of that line anyways now"

* * *

Well that's it. I'm off to the sea shore for the next two days so I won't be here to get your reviews but I hope you'll review anyway. Thanks for reading!


	36. Invasion of Konoha Declared

Phew, I'm glad FanFiction's bug has been fixed. It's awful when you have a chapter all done and ready to be published and you can't because of some technical problem. This is where we begin the climax of the story but don't worry; I've still got plenty of chapters to go through before the End is here. I hope you like this one. Please review if you do! The Five Kage Summit actually happens after Pain's invasion and is attended by Danzou. I won't change that don't worry but for now don't bombard me with questions please.

* * *

Tsunade slammed her head on her table as Shizune winced at the sound of wood splintering and Tonton gave a terrified 'Oink' and fled away from the Hokage's office.

"Tsunade-Sama, whatever's the matter? We got Sakura back safely without any massive causalities so everything's okay right now isn't it?" asked Shizune as Tsunade lifted her head.

"Everything is not okay! The Elders are grilling for whereabouts of Uchiha Sasuke. We had a good track of him until he disappeared a week ago. On top of that half baked Kazekage demands a meeting. And worse of all, that blonde haired, blue eyed brat is being released from the hospital right this moment; goodness knows when he'll come bangi…"

"GRANYYYYY!" came the enraged cry from outside Tsunade's office as Naruto Uzumaki reduced the door to tiny splinters of wood and slammed his hand on Tsunade's desk hard.

"I just got out of the hospital. Why? Why wouldn't you let me go rescue Sakura? I could have got some information on Sasuke as well? Why'd you do it? Why? Why? Why?" yelled Naruto practically jumping.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temples muttering under her breath.

"Naruto-kun, Tsunade-Sama isn't in the best of health right now so if you would please…"

Shizune's pleas fell on deaf ears as Naruto continued yelling and screeching till Jiraiya popped his head into the Hokage's room.

"Ah Naruto. You got out of the hospital I see. What're you yelling about?" asked Jiraiya innocently.

"I'm yelling because SOMEONE didn't think I would have liked to go and rescue Sakura-chan from those bastards." Yelled Naruto.

"Now, now Naruto, you know it was for your own safety…"

"I don't care. I'd risk my life to rescue Sakura's. She's my friend and I care about her. Not going to rescue her just because I'm scared for my life is just pathetic" said Naruto as Tsunade punched his head so hard that he went flying through the wall.

"You idiot! Don't speak of losing your life so easily. You're not some cat that'll keep coming back unless you kill it nine times. A life can be lived just once." Said Tsunade.

Jiraiya gave Tsunade an understanding look knowing she was thinking of her beloved brother Nawaki and her lover Dan who had both perished at war.

Naruto got up slowly rubbing his head as he looked Tsunade in her eyes.

"Gomen. I won't. But please in the future don't keep me from rescuing those are my friends. That's all" he said before leaving.

"By the way Tsunade. I'd like to speak to you about the mission concerning the Akatsuki Leader. Meet me out in the Dango shop tomorrow will you?" said Jiraiya as Tsunade grunted and turned away.

Jiraiya gave Tsunade a pat on her shoulder and left as well as Shizune went to look for Yamato to rebuild the wall.

Tsunade sat down again and looked through the letter sent to her by Gaara, the fifth Kazekage.

_To the Esteemed Godaime Hokage Tsunade-Sama. _

_Owing to the past unfriendly relationships between our villages I have consented to forming an alliance with Konohagakure. However this alliance does not provide you with the right to involve Sunagakure with matters involving your own villages. I refer to the incident concerning the kidnapping of Sakura Haruno by the Akatsuki. I hope you will take full responsibility should the Akatsuki attempt to wage war upon us. More to the point the threat of this particular organization has become too great for just two nations alone to deal with. I refer to the invitation you must have received from the Yondaime Raikage to a meeting in the Land of Iron. I will be frank; I wish to meet with you privately before the Summit occurs. I feel this shouldn't be too much to ask for seeing your past conduct towards the alliance. I hope I shall not have to take any drastic action._

_Hugs and Kisses_

_Godaime Kazekage _

_Sabaku no Gaara._

"_Hugs and kisses eh? I wonder what he'll do to the person whom he forced to write this letter if he sees that. Moreover the brat is blackmailing me into meeting with him. The nerve of that red-haired punk! Fine then, I'll meet him and if he tries to take any of his 'drastic measures' I'll punch his face so that it resembles a two ryo broken bowl"_ thought Tsunade crumpling the letter.

* * *

Sousuke had seen many people over his journeys but never had he seen such a woman in his entire life.

The strange woman calling herself Atsuko had probably overturned every aspect of his life. She had defied everything he believed to be true. At the end of their little chat together he felt as if he'd believe the sky was purple if she claimed it to be.

"…and that's how I convinced that kidnapper to give up his bad ways and abandon his worldly goods to become an ascetic and would you believe it? He attained nirvana in just three years! Amazing isn't it? I have a lot of faith in my powers of persuasion" said Atsuko as Sousuke stared wide eyed at her.

"_She began out telling me how she once fought a bear, she switched to what the shape of a man's big toe signifies in Aztec and Norse mythology, and now she's onto kidnapers turning into ascetics? This is one hell of a woman"_ thought Sousuke as the door opened and Koutaro entered.

"From your dazed expression I gather Atsuko's been enlightening you with her 1001 Tales of My-Greatest-Achievements?" asked Koutaro knowingly as Atsuko stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh come now Kou, just because you've lived a boring life doesn't mean you can ridicule my life. My life has been one big adventure. Hahahahahaha…cough…cough" she cried laughing manically before coughing.

"Hai, hai, whatever. Now young man, I have some news for you. Apparently there's some guy going around looking for you. He's got a picture of you and he asked me if I'd seen you. I didn't know if he was a friend or foe so I replied vaguely and got his address. Do you think it's someone you know? He was tall and well built, a Shinobi I guess. And he had a Konoha symbol and shaggy black hair and blue eyes and…"

"Wow you should've been a detective Kou. You check the guy out right?" asked Atsuko slyly.

"And just what is that supposed to mean Atsuko Takano?" asked Koutaro.

"You're not secretly gay are you? Come on, admit it. You are, aren't you?" taunted Atsuko playfully.

"Of course I'm not. How could you even think of something like that? If I were gay would I be in lo…"

Koutaro immediately bit his tongue and looked away blushing. Atsuko glanced sharply at him.

"Go on, what were you saying?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing at all" stammered Koutaro but Atsuko refused to let him slip away so in a moment the two were squabbling and quarreling.

None of the noise the two were making reached Sousuke's ear.

"_Akio-Sama…is looking for me? B-but why? He can't be looking for me. It must be some other guy who met Koutaro-San. But why should they search for me? It can't be Akio-Sama…he hates me. Its my fault that he was hurt and…"_

"Sousuke, are you even listening? Don't you think Koutaro could have been a girl in his previous life? What do you think?" asked Atsuko as Koutaro threw a wet sponge at her which hit her on the face with a 'Splat!' sound. Immediately a war began to wage in the tiny little room. Brushes, clothes, spoons, forks, toilet-paper rolls, cups, books, combs, toothbrushes flew from one end of the room to another with Sousuke trembling under the table.

* * *

Sasori picked up a ton of scrolls and dumped them in a large cavity on his round-bellied puppet. He then closed the cavity and sealed it with an explosive tag which would go off if anyone excepting he opened the door.

He then very carefully picked up another scroll and gazed at it fondly before placing it in his sleeve.

"_My Angel shall always be with me"_ he thought when there was a sound out side his door.

He opened his door and looked outside. Only the faintest traces of chakra remained outside his door.

"_As if someone disappeared or rather teleported very quickly, hmmm, strange" _thought Sasori quietly shutting his door.

* * *

Konan regarded the masked individual. She wondered what secrets lay hidden behind that seemingly innocent, orange swirly mask with a hole over the right eye.

How many people had he killed? How many more had he deceived to do his bidding? What was the power of the man?

All these thoughts ran amok in Konan's head as Tobi entered the office of Pain and seated himself on the guest chair and began tapping his foot impatiently.

Just then Pain entered the room and shut the door behind him. Tobi looked up sharply and then stood up.

"That was quite a drastic decision you took there, Nagato. You did not consult me even once. May I know why?" asked Tobi in a voice different than his usual happy-go-lucky tone.

"I apologize. I was furious. I should have controlled my anger better" said Pain mechanically.

Konan glared at Tobi. It had been a sort of routine for Nagato to apologize every time the masked warrior showed disapproval. She wished he would not act as if he was the almighty.

"I agree. Needless to say I shall not be accompanying you to Konoha. Neither, I might add, shall Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu and if you prefer, Deidara, they shall remain back. You'll think of some excuse won't you?" asked Tobi severely.

"Why Itachi and Kisame? There's nothing wrong in them going. And why exactly is Zetsu kept out of all the missions at hand and…"

"Do not argue with me Konan. My decisions are not meant to be haggled upon like a vegetable in a market. If you have a problem I couldn't care less" replied Tobi as Pain wordlessly told Konan to keep shut.

"Drastic and impulsive though the idea may have been it is still the most important thing to be done. As Nagato has pointed out Haruno Sakura knows too much and while we're attacking Konoha anyways we might as well obtain the Kyuubi" said Tobi.

"Hai"

"It is the will of Madara Uchiha, that Sasuke Uchiha must be released before sundown tomorrow. His comrades are searching for him in Kusagakure at the moment. We will release him there." Said Madara.

"In order for him to fight Itachi?" asked Pain as Madara Uchiha nodded.

"Indeed that is true. Itachi is becoming a thorn in my plans. I dislike thorns. When a thorn erupts in my path do you know what I do to it?" asked Madara.

"You cut it down" replied Pain and Konan simultaneously.

"That's correct. Sasuke Uchiha will face off against Itachi Uchiha in the abandoned Uchiha hold in Kusagakure where Sasuke will emerge victorious. Then Zetsu and I will recruit him and…"

"Pardon me for interrupting, what if Itachi is the one who is victorious? Then what?" asked Konan.

"Rest assured Itachi shall not be the victor" said Madara.

'Do you plan on intervening?" asked Pain.

"Perhaps. Not very likely. Also Nagato…"

Just then there was a flurried knocking at the door. Before waiting for a 'Come In' Kisame burst through the door and began panting.

"That Deidara flew off after Itachi's younger brother. Seems Sasuke escaped from the basement somehow and Deidara caught sight of him." he cried as Konan gave a cry of surprise and rose to her feet. Madara and Nagato remained calm.

"Deidara is not capable of defeating Sasuke. However I shall witness their battle. Sasuke must not be too badly harmed because he's going to be fighting Itachi in a couple of days. I'm sure we can find a suitable member to replace Deidara" said Madara teleporting away.

Pain did not say anything but merely asked Konan to summon all the members to his office.

When they all trooped in Pain stood up. "I realize my decision earlier was slightly emotional. I have modified my decision. We shall still be invading Konoha and obtaining Haruno and the Kyuubi. However Itachi, Zetsu, Tobi, Deidara, myself and Takigawa-San shall not be going. Which means the responsibility lies on Konan, Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame and Sasori also…"

"Why is that you won't send me to Konoha?" asked Akane glaring at Pain.

"I'll speak to you about that later. As I was saying our objective is to recapture Haruno Sakura and obtain the Kyuubi this I wish for no war to break out. You have full lease to use your best abilities however I would like to keep as many of you alive as possible. You are not to take anybody except Haruno and Uzumaki Naruto into custody, am I clear?" asked Pain as everyone nodded.

The chosen members nodded and at Pain's command everyone except Konan and Akane left.

"I know what you're thinking. I'm some revenge freak who'll destroy the village regardless of the mission if you send me there well I can tell you for sure that I am no such…"

"Takigawa-San. Let me assure that is not the reason why I refrain from sending you to Konoha. I know you've been there before and are more familiar with the terrain but in these types of missions ultimate caution is required. Moreover I cannot send too many members to Konoha leaving the base unprotected. While I'm sure you're an excellent combatant I cannot…"

"Cannot? Why can you not? Because I'm too impulsive? Well Leader-Sama you have my word I'll be on my best behavior for this mission. There will be no reason for you to worry in the least because I'll be…"

"Takigawa-San!" said Pain raising his voice as the ringed eyes glared at Akane.

"Enough play acting. You know as well as I do that you have no intention of abiding by what you babbled just now" said Pain.

Akane grit her teeth and looked down.

"My tiny little innocent village was destroyed by Konoha because of me. I…there's no other way…I must take revenge for the souls of my fellow villagers so that I can set my mind at rest" said Akane.

"Because of you? I'm sure you're mistaken…"

"I'm not mistaken. It was my chakra that went out of control sometimes. Haven't you seen it? How _alive_ it feels? Like it's got a mind of its own. It flared up at sudden times and I became dangerous. During those fits I couldn't see anything but red all around me. _It was because of these flares that damned Konoha ordered the Shinobi to wire out my entire village_. Just because they felt a flare of chakra. What sort of justice is that?" cried Akane.

Pain turned away, "Those who reside near the ground do not get to see the wonderful bird named 'Justice' which flies across the sky. For all small villages 'Justice' is merely to lick the shoes of those residing near the top. That has been the tradition from the very beginning. We who reside at the bottom strive to be at the top. But our lives are cursed. The harder we try to get to the top the more people try to drag us down. The harder we try to let true Justice prevail, more corruption disrupts it. Mindlessly killing others is not the way to do things. I say this from personal experience" said Pain.

Akane's eyes widened, "Does that mean even you…"

"Two orphans, a mass murderer, an outcast, an untouchable. What do they have in common? They're all at the bottom. That is what Akatsuki is made up of. Bottom-residents who strive to reach the top. I have had not one but many a taste of true pain. From your eyes it seems you have too. But pain shall not be resolved by causing more pain. Peace needs to be achieved at any cost. And one needs a god to create peace. That is the reason Akatsuki exists. You would do well to remember what I said" said Pain turning around and locking eyes with Akane.

"I get it. But still, there is something I must see for myself if not kill. Please, please let me go to Konoha" begged Akane, bowing down.

"Akane, The Leader has announced his decision. Please don't…"

"Very well" echoed Pain's voice through the room as Akane and Konan stared at him in surprise.

"But Naga…Pain. I thought you didn't want…"

Konan was once more cut off as Pain raised his hand to silence her.

"Fine then, I shall allow you to go to Konoha. However, If I have any reports from the others about some misbehavior on your part, there won't be enough left for your relatives to bury. Now leave my sight!" said Pain as Akane scowled at him and left the room.

"Konan, make sure she goes straight to the gate, I don't want her doing anything fishy" said Pain as Konan nodded and rushed out.

Akane marched indignantly through the passage muttering angrily under her breath about 'carrot-tops' and 'damn freaks'.

Konan caught up to her and sent the girl an amused glance.

"What do you want Konan-San? Whatever it is you're not going to get it" cried Akane.

"There's no need to be so angry. Naga…Pain didn't mean to be so rude" said Konan.

"I don't care if he meant to be rude or not. Point is he was rude. Awfully rude. I mean, whoever says catty things like that these days? It's disgraceful. And to think I work for that man. I feel ashamed whenever…"

"Both of you are the worst liars I've ever seen" said Konan as Akane decreased her pace.

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked, frowning at the blue-haired, origami specialist.

"Pain and you. I can see it. Both of you respect each other a lot yet you two keep putting up a facade that you can't stand each other. I've never heard Pain refer to any of the members except in such a respectful manner. And I've never seen you bow to anybody except him. You two may try to set up a show but I can see right through it" said Konan smiling slightly.

"Oh really? What earthly reason could Leader-Sama have for respecting me?" asked Akane sarcastically.

"You managed to outwit him when the two of you first met. It isn't easy to outwit Pain. Not easy at all. Yet you did it. And today. The way you spoke, it reminded him of the pain he himself has had to suffer. The pain of loosing parents, a friend, a happy life. All these things that he lost, you lost them too didn't you? And all by the actions of higher villages. He understands your pain Akane, and I'm sure you'll be able to understand his if you think about it. For now…don't let that distract you. Concentrate on the mission. It's very rare for Nagato to change his mind when he's already decided something" said Konan as Akane registered the use of Leader-Sama's real name.

Akane just nodded dumbly as Konan walked back up the passage.

"_I guess I could have been more considerate. I wonder now…Leader-Sama has never referred to me by anything other than 'Takigawa-San' he doesn't even refer to Uchiha or Sasori or even Konan-San so respectfully. I… could it be true that he respects me…even a little? I don't know why but for some strange reason he reminds me of him. Of Akio."_ Thought Akane as she bumped into a wall and fell back swearing loudly.

* * *

Don't worry. I'm not going to pair up Akane and Nagato romantically. But since Nagato's my most favorite character in the Naruto universe I want him to be more _involved_. So you'll be seeing more of Pain from now on. Thank you for reading and I do hope you review and tell me how you liked it! See you all next time! Bye.


	37. The Plan and Akane's New Jutsu

Hi everyone and welcome to the thirty-seventh chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you like the chapter and are going to read it through! Please review! That's what keeps all authors (like me) going!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

* * *

Konan leaped through the trees trying to block out the sound of Hidan's cursing, Akane's slightly reserved lesser-cursing, Kisame's hooting laughter, Kakuzu's furious snarls, and Sasori's grim silence.

"What the fuck do you mean you damned hoe. When I say I'm immortal I fucking mean I'm immortal. That's that. No questions asked" cried Hidan.

"Certainly you won't be asking questions after you've been cut up into teeny-tiny little pieces and fed to the rabid street dogs, you paramecium _(A/N Paramecium - a type of micro organism)"_ retorted Akane.

"Will the two of you stop bickering? You're going to give Kakuzu a _heart attack_ and Sasori a _joint failure_. Bwa ha, ha, ha, ha" screeched Kisame laughing at his own joke.

Konan cursed her luck at getting stuck leading the five Akatsuki members.

"_Well I should thank my stars that Deidara and 'Tobi' aren't here. We'd hardly reach Konoha by then. It's a wonder those two manage to get any mission accomplished at all"_ thought Konan when suddenly she sensed their arrival at their destination.

As she skidded to a stop the other members immediately stopped squabbling and landed nimbly beside Konan.

"Pain and I had already devised a plan to infiltrate Konoha earlier. However since he is not with us today we will need a different plan of action. One thing remains the same. There are six of us. We will split into three groups with three different purposes. The first group shall consist of Kisame and me. Our job will be to locate and capture Haruno Sakura. The next group shall consist of Hidan and Sasori. Your job is very important. You two must locate and I repeat _only locate_ the Kyuubi. Under no circumstances are you to engage the Kyuubi Jinchuriki in battle alone. After you've located him you will summon us using the reverse summoning scroll. Finally the third team shall consist of Akane and Kakuzu. Your job is the most important. Lay waste to Konoha and distract them while the rest of us do our jobs. You have liberty to kill anyone except Haruno Sakura and the Kyuubi. Am I clear?" asked Konan sharply glancing around at the others.

"Yeah whatever" replied Kisame looking bored.

"Pain and I had planned that those who would to the distracting should infiltrate first. One disadvantage we would have is that Konoha would be aware of our distracters due to their sensory shield which covers the village from underground to the sky like a giant bubble. Therefore…"

"If that's a problem then you needn't worry. I can create a hole in the barrier which will allow us to enter undetected. If we begin our destruction suddenly then we'll have a better response, ne?" asked Akane as Konan stared at her.

"You can? While I'm sure you're an expert in Barrier Art there's…"

"This has nothing to do with my Barrier Art. But you don't think I became an S- Class Criminal by just molding my chakra and turning into fluid did you?" asked Akane in disbelief.

"So what you're trying to say is…you can do something more?" asked Sasori.

"What…but…of course I can do something more. Anybody with half a brain should have realized that. If all it took to become an S-Ranked criminal was turn into fluid then I'd have been one at the age of 14. Anyways, leaving all that aside for now, shall I pierce through the barrier or shall we go in undetected?" asked Akane.

"Very well then, enter undetected" said Konan.

Akane nodded and walked to the area where the barrier began. Her chakra began swirling around her hand like an armor. The chakra was a rich magenta in color and was swirling around her as if leaking from her body.

"_This chakra…it seems almost vile. Like a bijuu's"_ thought Konan as Akane raised her hand, her face screwed up in concentration.

She pushed through what seemed like air and finally there was a great surge of chakra and a large hole appeared in what seemingly was air. Inside it they could see the true gate way to Konoha.

"After you" she said as everyone trooped in and finally she stepped in and removed her hand causing the hole to close up suddenly.

"Sentry guards. I'll get rid of them" said Kisame spying eleven guards standing in front of the gate and another eleven inside.

"Wait" said Konan suddenly appearing in the midst of the guards.

"Huh? What? Who are you?" cried the guards scrambling in confusion and fear.

"Those uniforms. It's Akatsuki. Hey you, warn the village immediately. Send message to Hok…"

Before the person finished barking out his orders he had been stabbed clean through the stomach by Samehada.

Hidan meanwhile had already slaughtered five guards on his side.

Sasori dodged all blows falling on and struck the two guards fighting him with thousands on senbons from his sleeve. They fell clutching their necks and quickly passed into oblivion.

The guards from inside the village sensed something was wrong and came running out to find all their comrades dead and six figures in black cloaks with red clouds.

Akane's fluid enveloped all eleven of them and stuffed itself into their noses and in three minutes all twenty two sentry guards were dead.

Then the fluid enveloped all the dead guards and they turned into clones of Akane herself and vanished like ordinary clones.

"Hmm, so you use corpse to form clones eh?" asked Konan as Akane nodded curtly.

"_Another reason why Nagato's partial towards her"_ thought Konan as they all split into groups.

"Sasori and Hidan. Remember what I've told you. Under no circumstance are you to fight the Kyuubi or its host. If you find it you're going to summon all four of us and we will bring down Kyuubi together. Being the strongest Bijuu it will be quite difficult but nevertheless we must do it, now go. Akane and Kakuzu. Your job is very important. Destroy the village if you need to but distract them from our business am I clear?" asked Konan as said members nodded.

"Then let's go" she said as they all scattered off in different directions.

* * *

"Eh? Naruto's not here? B-but I searched all over and I was sure I'd find him here" said Sakura looking a little upset as Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto's favorite ramen stall smiled at her.

"Don't worry Sakura-Chan; I'm sure he'll turn up again somewhere. Did you check with Lady Hokage to see if she didn't send him on a solo mission?" asked Ayame, Teuchi's daughter who was wiping a bowl.

"Well now that you mention it I didn't. Yeah, that's probably why he's not around. Pity, I was looking forward to meeting him" said Sakura turning away as she bumped heavily into someone and fell back.

"Oh dear I'm so sorry miss, are you hurt?" asked a male voice as Sakura opened her eyes and forgot to breathe as her eyes fell on the soft black hair and dark clothes.

"I…Itachi?" she said as the person offering his hand to her glanced at her in surprise.

"No, no, my name's Shinji. I'm sorry to bump into you. Did you get hurt anywhere?" he asked when Sakura realized that the person before her was not Itachi Uchiha.

Feeling embarrassed and flustered she got up, "Umm, no. Sorry, I mistook you for someone else" said Sakura running off towards Tsunade's tower.

"_Why…why do I keep thinking of him? What he's doing. I wonder if he's okay….arrgghh I'm doing it again"_ cried Sakura mentally as she arrived at the Hokage Tower.

Running through the hallway she arrived in front of Tsunade's room when she heard heated voices emerging from inside.

"_Tsunade-Sama is really furious. I wonder who she's yelling at"_ thought Sakura.

"You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Does Naruto mean nothing but a weapon to you? Did my grandfather hand over the goodwill of the Village to you just so that you can warp it with your corrupt ways? Let me tell you something. My grandfather, Hashirama Senju, my granduncle Tobirama Senju. My sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Have you learned nothing at all from them? Is that why you were so disdainful of the Yondaime Hokage? And is that why you're pestering the life out of me?" came Tsunade's voice from inside as there was a thumping noise as if she had pressed someone to the door.

"Let go of me this instant Tsunade or else…"

"Or else. That's just it. All your lives you've learnt nothing except to give threats and make people lick your toes. Grandfather and sensei may have born it. But I am not going to sit by and watch while you commit atrocities upon Konoha"

"Atrocities? It is you Godaine Hokage who is committing atrocities by letting the Kyuubi get away…"

"Don't you dare call him Kyuubi. He's a living, breathing person not a monster. A hundred times each of your worth. And he has a name. Use it" growled Tsunade.

"Notwithstanding that how dare you ignore our orders and let him go to Myobokuzan instead of leaving him in Danz…The Root's care?"

"Excuse me? Since when has it been written that the Village Elders may take decisions on behalf of the Hokage? Listen well; I don't bear this title of Hokage for fancy. It's my and I repeat _only my_ decision to decide what happens in my village during my reign. I have authorized Naruto to train at Myobokuzan and there shall be no more talk about it. If you have a problem then shove it up your ass and get out" cried Tsunade and there was the sound of feet stomping to Sakura guessed the Hokage had returned to her seat.

"I never have met a rowdy and irresponsible Hokage like you. You will bring the village to ruin Tsunade"

"You think I'm rowdy? Just wait till Naruto becomes Hokage. If you old boots are still alive then you'll have your hands full. Now I believe I asked you to leave and not stand there gawking at me." Came Tsunade's voice as the door opened and Sakura quickly shrank to the side.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the Village elders stomped out and slammed the door shut muttering about 'trash' and 'destruction'.

"Tsunade-Sama, don't you think that was a little over the top? You were extremely rude to them." Said Shizune's soft voice.

Sakura took the chance to knock at her Shishou's door and a gruff 'Come in' came from inside.

"Ah Sakura. How are you feeling now?" asked Shizune giving the pinkette a bright smile.

"Fine thank you, Shizune-Senpai. Tsunade-Sama, I wanted to ask, where is Naruto? I can't find him anywhere in the village and I heard you shouting about some place called Myobo…"

"Mybokuzan. The Land of Toads where Jiraiya received his Senjutsu training. Naruto has become very insistent on getting stronger since he could do nothing about stopping your kidnapping so he wants to get stronger and Jiraiya recommended the place so I let the brat go before my head burst from all his yelling" said Tsunade who really looked very haggard and tired.

"You look exhausted Shishou, why don't you take a break and rest up?" asked Sakura.

"I was going to when those two lowlifes showed up squealing at me for not letting that ghoul Danzo be in charge of Naruto. As if I'd let Danzo come even near Naruto. That man just reeks envy and jealousy. And he's got the Elders wrapped around his little finger too. Fortunately the Daimyo is sensible and isn't one who bend to temptations easily but I believe Danzo may stoop to Genjutsu some day. I just hope the geezer dies before that happens" said Tsunade.

"B…but surely that's illegal. Won't you do anything to stop him?" asked Sakura.

"I would but that man is slimier than Orochimaru. He can hide his tracks well. However if even a shred of evidence comes my way then…" Tsunade slammed a fist in the palm of her other hand.

Then she looked up to Sakura, "Speaking of Danzo I had a piece of news from Sai and Hinata. They say that Itachi Uchiha willingly let you go? Is this a Genjutsu I should congratulate you on or…"

"No…no I didn't cast a genjutsu upon him. He…he just let me leave" said Sakura uncomfortably, fiddling with her fingers.

"Is that so?" asked Tsunade slowly.

"Hai"

"Sai informed me that the two of you shared a rather intimate moment before he let you go. Isn't that a little strange?" asked Tsunade as Shizune gave the Hokage a disapproving look.

"Tsunade-Sama she's just gotten back…"

"You're right. Forget about what I said Sakura…for now at least. You go home and rest up too. I want you to practice more genjutsu dispelling tomorrow morning" said Tsunade grinning wickedly at Sakura who bowed and turned to leave.

Sakura walked around aimlessly as there was nothing for her to do. She arrived at the training ground to see Kakashi with a new Genin team. The tallest boy looked a lot like Shikamaru. Cool, collected, frightfully intelligent but not as lazy. His hair was short and spiky and hung over his eyes. His hands were in his pocket and he was leaning against a tree with his eyes closed.

The girl was very thin and her hair was tied in two pigtails and she wore owl-like glasses like Shiho from the Cipher division. She was sending shy glances at the tall boy every now and then and was sitting on the ground pulling out blades of grass.

It was the third child that really caught her attention. Golden blonde hair till his shoulders. Warm brown eyes squinting in concentration and a supple body as he leaped and kicked at the dummies in the field.

"They're a rather mismatched group don't you think?" asked Kakashi suddenly from beside Sakura, making her jump.

"Ah Kakashi-sensei…I didn't see you" said Sakura.

"Obviously"

"So…what've you been up to?" asked Sakura trying for a normal conversation. _"What's this awkwardness that's hanging around the air?"_ she thought.

"Nothing special"

"Ah! So umm did you see Naruto after you returned?"

"No"

"How's the weather today? Nice isn't it?"

"Maybe"

"Have you grown taller? Or have I just gotten shorter?"

"Both of those are impossible"

"Do you think pork tastes better in ramen or miso soup"

"Ramen"

Sakura gave up trying to have a conversation and sent a rather annoyed glance at her former teacher who merely stuffed his hand into his pocket and began humming a tune.

"Look, look, Kakashi-sensei's talking to his _girlfriend_ and she's soooo pretty" cried the bespectacled girl on the field as Sakura went crimson red.

"Would you guys please pay more attention to your work rather than…"

BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!

Just then there was a huge explosion as the Hokage tower went up in smoke.

"Sensei…what was that?" asked the blonde boy as all three of them as there was another huge explosion and a large part of the marketplace blew up. Screams of pain and terror began rushing through the air.

Kakashi sent a sideward glance at Sakura who seemed petrified.

Suddenly he picked up Sakura and swung her over his shoulder.

"Hey? What do you think you're doing Kakashi-sensei? Put me down this instant. Where're you taking me? Put me down I tell you" screeched Sakura as Kakashi and his genin team began moving quickly.

"If it's who we think it is then you're the one in danger because Naruto's in Myobokuzan. So we'll have to get you to Tsunade-Sama before…"

Just then there was a whirlwind of paper kunai as Konan suddenly appeared in front of Kakashi who did hand signs extremely fast and cried out ,"Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu" as the paper's became wet and fell uselessly to the ground.

"You go for the big-wig. I'll take care of the kiddies" said Kisame suddenly grabbing the girl of the genin.

Sakura looked on terrified that if Kisame was here then perhaps his partner had accompanied him.

"_Maybe he'll save me…what's wrong with me? He's Akatsuki, there's no earthly reason for him to save me"_ thought Sakura as another explosion ripped through the village.

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That's it for this chapter. I hope you all like it. Please press the beauitful review button benath this message and review it! Thanks a lot and see you next time!


	38. Konoha Invasion Arc Part I

Hiya everyone. I hope you all liked the previous chapter. From now onwards it's actually an alternate version of Pain's Invasion. Things will be cleared up as you read on! I hope you review this time.

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Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane stared in shock at the figure standing before them.

"_This…this that same guy who was the one who killed Asuma-senpai"_ thought Izumo as Kakuzu turned towards him.

"I see, so we meet again" he said slowly as Akane's eyes narrowed from behind her kasa hat and glasses.

"Someone you know Kakuzu-San?" she asked as Kakuzu nodded and lifted the sleeve of his cloak to reveal a large scratch that had been carefully sewed up.

"I still bear proof of our previous encounter Konoha Shinobi. This time I'm not going to let you get off" said Kakuzu.

"As if you let Asuma-senpai get off very easily did you? You filthy murderer" cried Izumo.

"I'll leave you to handle things here shall I? Don't forget what our job is" said Akane.

"Don't give me orders woman. Get lost" barked Kakuzu as Akane spat a blob of sharp fluid at him which he dodged.

Hiding her presence she arrived at a busy market place where people had been uneasily staring here and there for some explanation of the explosions that had been taking place.

"_Civilians. Humph, well here goes nothing"_ thought Akane as she sat down behind the large chimney of a house, she took out a small scroll painted gray all over with intricate designs and patterns and opened it partially on her lap and began gathering her chakra in her body.

* * *

"Tsunade-Sama. The village is under attack. It's Akatsuki!" cried Shizune bursting into the Hokage's room to find Shikaku Nara, Neji Hyuga, Might Gai, Ibiki Morino and Anko Mitarashi in deep conversation with the Hokage.

"I'm aware of that Shizune. Be quiet and listen up. I've received Intel that there were six of them when it started. The blue-haired paper using woman, the five-hearted freak, the immortal guy, the puppet-user, the shark guy and that other woman who uses fluids" said Tsunade as the jounin present nodded.

"Kakashi is at the moment attempting to fend of two of them. He's got Sakura with him. Undoubtedly she is one of their targets. Naruto is safe for the moment but… I'm going to summon him back from Mount Myoboku in a while" said Tsunade.

"But why? Isn't it safer for him to remain in that place for now?" asked Ibiki.

"It may be, but the fact remains that Uzumaki Naruto is a member of Konoha and has every right to fight for his village. With Jiraiya absent we'll need his help. And also he wouldn't let me live if I didn't summon him" said Tsunade as Ibiki subsided.

"That's all very well but what are we do with the Akatsuki?" asked Neji.

"Gai, you and Anko will assist Kakashi in defending Sakura, since there are six members they must have spilt into groups of two. So Kakashi may not be able to handle battling two of them at once. Go right now" said Tsunade as Gai and Anko nodded and disappeared.

"Ibiki, you and Shikaku must go to the 3rd Battle Grounds. I can sense disturbances there; a battle must be going on. Assist whoever is battling." Said Tsunade as the two disappeared.

"Neji, you will return to the Hyuga Compound and declare that by the Hokage's orders every Hyuga including Hiashi himself must fight for Konoha. I appoint Hiashi the Supreme Commander of the Hyuga and you as his Lieutenant. Your jobs will be to confront any two members of Akatsuki and attempt to take them in alive. Am I clear?" asked Tsunade as Neji nodded and left.

"I will now summon Katsuyu in case there is need of healing the villagers. Shizune you stay with me as a guard. Have ten members of the Anbu under you" said Tsunade as Shizune bowed and ran off to select a guard crew for the Hokage.

* * *

Akane's eyebrows twitched as she the kanji on the scroll that was on her lap began enveloping her and printed themselves like tattoos upon her skin. Suddenly she stood up and everyone below gave a scream at seeing the cloaked figure appearing out of nowhere.

"It is finished. I'm almost invulnerable now" she thought as five chunin surrounded her.

"Be careful, she's the fluid user" they cried as nearly invisible string wrapped around her tightly.

"Fire Release"

"Water Release"

"Wind Release"

"Lightning Release"

"Earth Release"

Five different coloured streams of chakra shot through the strings and converged towards Akane but before they could actually connect with her skin they vanished into thin air and the string was cut up into pieces.

Before Akane could lift her eyes five kunai with exploding tags embedded themselves at her feet and her legs began sinking in a sort of quicksand so she couldn't move an inch.

"_Hmm, not bad. Konoha Shinobi aren't at all incompetent…for their level"_ she thought as the tags exploded with a huge sound and dust flew everywhere.

"Did we get her?" cried one of them right before a sharp blob of fluid pierced through his throat leaving him dead.

"Watch out everybody, she's still alive and… ahhhhhhhh"

Tiny bullets of fluid rained down upon the chunins and pierced them from every fatal point in their body.

People below who had not yet run away or were too scared to move began screaming and crying out.

Akane jumped higher and higher on the building tops before she reached a point near the middle of the village. Her mind yelled at her to destroy the village at once but the Leader's words kept them at restraint.

"Hey you, Akatsuki-thingy, get down here and fight me" came a voice from below as Akane's eyes traveled down and met with the sharp, canine-like eyes of Inuzuka Kiba.

"Just give me a moment while I reduce your village to ashes, you can fight me all you want after that okay?" asked Akane seductively as Kiba growled.

"Man-Beast Clone" he cried as Akamaru turned into another Kiba.

"Gatsuga" they both began whirling at astounding speed and shot upwards towards Akane.

"Darn it, oh well I guess I could top around a bit before the big bang. This one looks like the one Sasori-San was fighting when they invaded the Suna Base." She thought as the two of them appeared on both sides of her but before they could hit her they suddenly twisted off in a different direction and completely missed.

Falling back onto the roof of a house Kiba looked up, "What the hell was that? I felt something moving me away from the Akatsuki" he cried out.

"I might as well tell you, to be fair that it. These runes on my hand are inscriptions of an amour. An amour made out of pure essence of the wind. All ranged and melee attacks are automatically deflected off from me so I'm, afraid you'll have to stick to basic Taijutsu if you want to hit me. I stole this jutsu a very long time ago. Useful isn't it?" asked Akane as Kiba's eyes widened in surprise.

"You . . . You're a thief in addition to being a murderer." He cried as Akane laughed maniacally.

"Mmhmm, I'm a very, very bad girl" she crooned winking at him, "Do you know my preferred method of killing people. Usually I stick my blade into their throats and jiggle it around a bit so that I can see the organs when I pull it out a again. But on days when I'm feeling more romantic I care a heart onto their chests and the pierce it with an arrow…literally an arrow. On days when I feel angry I…"

"Shut the hell up" cried Kiba as he performed 'Gatsuga' again.

"The same old thing? My dear boy have you even been listening to what I've been…nani?"

Gatsuga vanished into thin air as a huge double headed wolf appeared behind Akane as struck her with it's paw which sent her flying forwards.

Using a somersault-like action Akane landed on her feet on the roof of a building and skidded to a halt before pushing her self forward with great speed.

Kiba did not get time to react when suddenly Hinata appeared before him and performed 'Eight Trigrams Palm Heavenly Spin' therefore knocking Akane back where she hit the wall and sunk down on the ground.

"Whew, thanks Hinata. I owe you, she'd have got me good if you hadn't showed up" said Kiba as Hinata smiled.

Akane got up, clutching her shoulder. Her eyes glared at Hinata with hatred burning in them.

"You little conniving bitch" she cried performing hand seals, "Fire Release: Flame Flower Jutsu" she cried as bullets of fire rained down upon Hinata and Kiba who began dodging them.

But while they dodged them Akane performed another hand sign.

"No…I won't let you" cried Hinata disappearing and appearing behind Akane.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms" she cried as her hands became a blur as they struck points on Akane's back and the Akatsuki cried out in pain as she fell to the ground.

"Gatsuga" cried Kiba as he and Akamaru slammed down upon the fallen body from above. Digging into the building and cracking it in half.

They both landed on the next building.

"That should have done her in or at least put her out of commission. Let's go and help Shikamaru" said Kiba as they turned to go.

Just then several streams of fluid shot up into the air and began wavering around like snakes in the air.

"What the hell are those? Does this mean she's not dead?" cried Kiba.

"Kiba-kun be careful, that woman is very sadistic." Warned Hinata as Akane was pulled up into the air by another tentacle which seemed to emerge from her back so as she floated in the sky she looked like a human bijuu.

"Behold my tailed beast form. Creative isn't it? I always love performing it in public. It's my third favorite method and I'm sure you feel very much honored to be able to witness it" said Akane as Kiba and Hinata's eyes widened.

The tentacles wavered menacingly as Akane's face manifested into a creepy leer.

"I'm feeling gracious today. I'll let you choose how you want to die. Would you like me to pierce you through your vital points? Or perhaps you'd like me to stuff my fluid inside you till you can't breathe? Maybe you want me to dangle you by your leg and crack your head open by dropping you? Come on tell me. There's no need to be shy now" she said laughing maniacally again.

"She's…that _thing_ is mad. She's a crazy person. Hinata, we're gonna need help…"

Before Kiba could finish four tentacles of fluid suddenly shot forward and pinned his arms and legs to the wall before a fifth one pierced him in a non vital area in his chest.

"Hahahaha. Like that? Don't you love the way you feel slightly numb at first but then you're like 'Ouch this hurts like hell'. I love it. I'm sure you will too. I'm sure the whole village will. I'll hare it shall I?" said Akane as the remaining tentacles rose even higher in the air so that it could shoot anywhere in the village.

"Hinata…stop her" cried Kiba but Hinata who had never seen Kiba like this…bloodied, weak and pierced in five places, stood petrified with shock.

"B-but…how? I u-used Eight T-trigrams Sixty F-four Palms on h-h-er. Then why?" cried Hinata.

"My dear girl I have donned an armor. I thought you could see it. Each and every one of your pathetic little strikes missed me and as your dog-lover friend slammed me down I simply switched to fluid mode, end of story" screeched Akane, "Now I shall commence what I was doing"

The tentacles formed a hole in their tips and suddenly thousands and thousands on fluid bullets began shooting out in every direction.

The sound of trees breaking, glass shattering, flesh being pierced, screams echoing, house falling all mixed and formed a noise which one could describe as true devastation.

"DIE…EVERYONE IN KONOHA DIE…I'LL EXTINGUISH YOUR WILL OF FIRE AND LEAVE YOU ALL AS BITS OF CHARRED ASHES ON BARREN GROUND. I'LL DESTROY EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU" she cried with her eyes watering with tears and her mouth still laughing maniacally.

Just then Tsunade appeared behind Akane and performed a drop kick of astounding power causing the tentacles to disappeared and Akane to crash on the ground with great force.

Hinata seemed to snap out of her trance when Kiba shook her hard.

"Hinata…Hinata…snap out of it what's wrong with you? Hinata?" he cried as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

Tsunade walked up to them, "Kiba, don't be so rough on her. She hasn't seen too much blood in spite of being a kunoichi. On top of that you are one of the people she always looks up to. To see you in such a state. Well it wasn't easy" said Tsunade.

"Hokage-Sama, what happened to the Akatsuki woman?" asked Kiba.

"She's not dead yet, hardly very injured I might add. I can't stick around to fight her because I have to summon Naruto back. But don't worry. Lee, Tenten and Shino will be arriving here very soon. You'll have enough backup" said Tsunade.

She grabbed Kiba and began healing his wounds and in 45 seconds he felt as if he'd never been injured at all.

"_No wonder she's probably the best healer in the entire Shinobi world"_ thought Kiba as he nodded his thanks and watched as Tsunade disappeared.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. I'm kinda sad nobody reviewed for the past three chapters. I released all three together there should have been at least three reviews? Please do review.


	39. Konoha Invasion Arc Part II

Heya everybody. Bit upset because nobody's reviewed for the past FOUR chapters. Is there something wrong with my writing? Something you do not like? If so then please do at least let me know so I may rectify it. Don't keep me in the dark. I do hope you'll review for this chapter at least and if you get time then for the remaining four.

* * *

Kakashi ducked and dodged as Kisame swung Samehada wildly at him. Just then a huge shuriken of paper suddenly materialized and slashed his left shoulder.

"_Damn it, even when using my sharingan I can't dodge both of them and keep Sakura safe at the same time"_ thought Kakashi as Kisame stuck the sword into the ground and a jet of water pierced through it and slashed Kakashi's legs.

The girl in question was at that point deeply unconscious after being struck in a pressure point by Kakashi.

"You've got nice, long legs Kakashi Hatake. Would you let me…slice them to ribbons?" cried Kisame as he performed hand signs and two huge water sharks suddenly hurtled towards the Copy Ninja.

"Lightning Release: Twin Wolf Fang Jutsu" cried Kakashi as he raised his arms and two electric wolves shot out of it and clashed with the sharks.

Taking advantage of the electricity, Kakashi appeared behind Kisame with lightning speed and used the Strong Fist to punch Kisame forwards but suddenly Konan appeared from behind Kisame and flew towards Kakashi just before a huge water dragon erupted from the ground and collided with Konan, knocking her away and making her paper wings wet.

"I see your purpose all along was to hit me and not Kisame because it's easier to disable me than him, good thinking but not good enough" said Konan as she shed her wings and more grew from her back.

Just then Kisame appeared behind Kakashi as Konan streaked forwards.

Suddenly jumping up Kakashi did a back flip and landed on Kisame's shoulder and cried out, "Earth Release: Mud Wall"

The ground beneath Kisame began to shake as a huge wall of mud emerged out of the ground and rose high into the air taking Kisame and Kakashi with it.

"That won't help you" cried Konan moving upwards.

"Raikiri" cried Kakashi as a bolts of lightning rained down upon Konan she easily dodged them all but to her shock when she opened her eyes she found Kisame falling right on top of her.

Before she had the time to dodge the massive shark-man fell to the ground taking Konan with him.

Kisame got up rubbing his head as Konan kicked him away and got up, her face red with fury.

"You…Hatake Kakashi…don't take the Akatsuki lightly. Playing games with us is not going to …"

Before she could finished three more dragons shot down from the top as Konan hastily jumped away.

"I'll get him down" said Kisame as he lazily swung Samehada and struck it into the wall which caused cracks to appear.

In a minute the wall crumbled and Kakashi began falling. Kisame performed hand seals but suddenly three snakes appeared and bound his arms and legs.

"Asa Kujaku" cried a voice as Might Gai appeared in front of Kisame and kicked him upwards. He began kicking and punching Kisame at such a speed that flames began to appear. As soon as he finished Kakashi appeared above Kisame with a Raikiri but suddenly Samehada's shreds fell aside and scales began erupting on the swords and it turned into a huge scaled sword which resembled a flail.

Kisame grabbed it and slashed Gai's chest and Kakashi's leg with it and winced as he fell to the ground.

"Aww man, Samehada revealed its true form. I was hoping to save it. Damn I hurt like hell" he complained.

"Stop whining Kisame" cried Konan as she ducked the deadly snakes Anko sent her way and appeared behind Anko and slashed her with a paper katana to find it was a clone.

"Is that the true form of the sword? How terrifying" commented Kakashi looking bored as Gai gave his thumbs up pose.

"Never fear Kakashi, we're here to help you defend Sakura" he said as his teeth flashed with its usual 'ping' sound.

Kisame jumped up and landed in between the two jonin and he swung Samehada but before it could connect Gai ducked down and swept his feet and tripped Kisame.

"Raikiri" cried Kakashi using the water on the field as a conductor and shocking Kisame.

Gai had by now become rather exhausted after opening his 6th Gate and using the Asa Kujaku so he and Kakashi fell back.

"Plan B commences now, lets go" said Gai streaking forward.

"_Do we even have a plan B?"_ wondered Kakashi as he followed.

* * *

"Tenten, hurry up. Hinata and Kiba are awaiting our assistance. It is imperative that we must treat this fight with utmost seriousness and confidence and refrain from any forms of sloth, our power of youth must shine like the sun. All are enemies must be treated like eclipses. Denizens of old age who have forgotten what it is to be young" cried Lee as he ran to where Tsunade had instructed them to go.

Shino looked over at Tenten, "Do you have to endure this every day?" he asked quietly as Tenten grinned uneasily and nodded.

"There they are. Kiba! Hina…"

Before Lee could finish his excited getting the ground between them exploded and a cloaked figure got up from all the rubble.

Her shoulder was bleeding profusely and her cloak was ragged and torn in places. Her face was bruised badly and her glasses were broken. It seemed as if a shard of glass had pierced one eye because her left eye was bleeding badly.

"Hmm, Godaime Hokage Tsunade sure can kick. I've never felt such brute power for ages" she said coldly as she turned to face Kiba and Hinata who had regained control over her sense and was sending a look of utmost determination towards Akane.

"_I won't let them harm Naruto-kun. I will do whatever it takes to protect him. I'll never give up. Because that is my ninja way"_ she thought when suddenly Shino, Lee and Tenten landed beside them.

"Kiba, Hinata. Are you two okay?" asked Shino, the concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine. Hokage-Sama healed all my injuries. Hinata was a little shocked but no physical injuries." Said Kiba.

"No physical injuries? I hope you didn't forget to count this" cried Akane appeared in front of Hinata and slashing her straight in the stomach.

"Hinata!" cried Shino as he caught the girl before she exploded with a 'poof' sound and in her place was a log, neatly sliced into two pieces.

"_What? A substitution? But could I not notice it? There's no way I wouldn't have…wait. Not unless, the Wind Armor is fading away. I must have disturbed the runes when the Hokage attacked me. Damn it"_ thought Akane suddenly when Hinata appeared behind her.

Preparing herself for a physical attack Akane raised her arms but suddenly Hinata disappeared and Lee appeared behind her and kicked her forward straight towards Shino's incoming bugs.

"_All right, this is going to hurt me a little"_ she mentally prepared herself as she raised her hand and like with the barrier, chakra began converging there.

She raised her palm and struck the air just before the bugs and in an instant they all fell down dead.

Skidding to a halt Akane de-activated her technique immediately.

"_What was that? She just struck the air and my bugs fell dead. I must have Hinata check with the Byakugan"_ thought Shino as Tenten appeared above Akane and wrapped her in a large scroll.

Tenten then pulled the scroll in such a way that Akane was released but she began spinning. Suddenly bandages wrapped around her as Lee attached himself to her and began spinning around at a very fast rate.

"Front Lotus" he cried as he crashed Akane onto the ground with tremendous force but Akane burst into fluid and rose as a wave and re-emerged behind Hinata and wrapped chains around her body and picked her up.

"Hinata" cried Kiba and Shino in unison as Hinata screamed.

Just then thousands of tiny shuriken appeared around Akane and shot towards her but as soon as they neared her they were deflected by seemingly the air.

"Be careful, she's got sort of shield around her made of wind. No ranged attacks will work on her" cried Kiba as Tenten grit her teeth.

Just then bugs surrounded Akane and at that moment Hinata sent two chakra made lions down upon Akane which she dodged.

Just as she jumped out of the way of the lions she found herself facing a powerful Gatsuga from Kiba.

A barrier formed between her and Kiba.

"_My wind armor will not be able to deflect a direct attack like that. I'll have to…"_

Akane's eyes widened in shock as her barrier began to crack and suddenly Kiba broke through it but just before he could hit her he moved around her and Lee appeared and kicked Akane exactly on the spot where Tsunade had earlier hit her.

Crying out in pain Akane sank to her feet. Just then Kiba did a U-turn with Gatsuga. Hinata thrust two more chakra lions at Akane. Shino used his chakra beetles to hold Akane in her place. Tenten surrounded her with kunai attached to exploding tags and with a huge explosion all the attacks mixed.

Kiba, Shino, Lee, Tenten and Hinata retreated to a safe distance and glanced at the place where the Akatsuki member had been trapped from where now came a lot of smoke.

Kiba sank to his feet. "Phew, that took something out of me" he said as Lee jumped.

"Kiba-kun, that was nothing. I'm disappointed in this fight. From hearing accounts of Guy-sensei's tales I expected a much better fight from Akatsuki" declared Lee.

"Oh you did, did you?" came a cold voice from the smoke as everyone's attention turned to it again.

"I…impossible. After our combined attacks even her body shouldn't be recognizable" said Kiba.

"If it were that easy to kill S-Ranked Shinobi then there would be no missing ninja. There might be five of you against one of me but the fact still remains that you're still chunins with nothing to do except teach at the Academy and take on C-Rank missions. Whereas I am an S-Ranked Ninja. Did you know a very interesting fact? I'm also called the Black Assassin sometimes. I'm ranked 6th in the International Shinobi Bingo Book and 3rd in the Land of Fire's Bingo Book. Rather an accomplishment don't you think? Do you dumb dodos really think you can take me down so easily?" cried Akane as the smoke cleared and the others saw she had suffered slight damage but nothing serious.

"I see you're surprised to see me faring well. Let me inform you I have been and probably am the best Shinobi in the world when it comes to Barrier Art. There is very little I don't know about the subject. There is…"

"You talk way too much. Don't you ever shut up? Just quit it and fight already" came a familiar voice from behind the five chunin.

They all turned to look. Hinata's heart skipped a beat as her eyes fell upon a familiar figure.

Bright, blue eyes. Shiny blonde hair. Standing atop Gamabunta with Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders, wearing a cloak which resembled that of the Yondaime Hokage stood none other than the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. Uzumaki Naruto.

"Aha. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of being formally introduced have we? My name is Akane Takigawa. I'm a member of Akatsuki as you probably know. So good to finally meet you. Jinchuriki no Kyuubi. Uzumaki Naruto" said Akane smiling menacingly.

Naruto glanced around at the destruction. Almost all the buildings in that particular area were destroyed. A little farther off smoke still erupted from someone else's battle. The village was in shambles.

"You guys go and get yourselves healed or help with the evacuation. I'll handle things here" said Naruto.

"But Naruto. This woman is dangerous. She can turn…"

"Bushy brows. I know. Tsunade Baa-chan told me. I need to fight this battle alone so that you guys aren't hurt. Please, go and check if Sakura-chan is safe, she's bound to be in danger too.

Lee looked as if he'd like to protest more but Kiba placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him be. If he wants to fight her alone then let him. If he looses, we'll beat him to pulp" said Kiba as Lee hesitated and then gave him a thumbs up.

They all sped away except Hinata who looked at Naruto.

"Naruto-kun. Please be careful" she said and sped away as Naruto smiled at her and nodded.

His smile faded as he turned back to Akane who was now sitting up a broken beam of wood rubbing her shoulder with an expression of slight pain on her bruised face.

"You're about to pay for what you've done to Konoha." Said Naruto calmly though his eyes flashed with energy.

"Am I? I'll be most interested to see how" said Akane coldly.

Naruto suddenly began running forward. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" he cried as ten more Naruto's appeared beside him.

"Wind Release: Divine Wind Jutsu" said Akane as a sharp gust of wind cut through the clones but from behind them appeared two more Naruto with a Rasengan in their hand which they thrust towards Akane.

Akane easily dodged the Rasengan but suddenly another Naruto with a rasengan appeared from behind her and hit her on her back.

The impact of the attack sent Akane forward and she crashed with a broken wall and fell down. Her cloak was practically falling off her shoulders and her face was practically crushed.

"We have to help the others. Let's finish this off quickly" said Naruto as he entered Sage Mode.

Fukasaku and Shima jumped into the air and performed hand seals, "Demonic Illusions: Toad Confrontation Singing"

The two Great Toad Sage's voice began synchronizing and the sound waves swept over Akane.

"_A genjutsu. If I get caught in this it's probably over for me"_ thought Akane as the runes on her hand began changing shape and began glowing red.

Finally the voices of the two Toad Sages became synchronized and Akane found herself trapped in a small water cube with four toad statues binding her.

Meanwhile Naruto had prepared a Rasenshuriken which he threw towards Akane.

_"Just ten more seconds before I can activate it. I have to speed it up. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two…"_

It was at this moment the Rasenshuriken connected with Akane and exploded with a huge light and sound.

* * *

Sasori and Hidan dodged kunai knives when suddenly Sasori felt a severe dread filling his heart at the sound of a huge explosion nearby.

Suddenly he looked and saw that the scroll which was used to summon the Akane-like puppet which kept his antidotes had been pierced with a kunai.

"_Akane….don't die"_

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Ohhh this is one of the rare cliffhanging chapters. School is starting for me from tomorrow so my rate of updating is going to decrease its speed. I do hope I can get some reviews before I return to study, study and more study. See you next time on chapter 40.


	40. Driven to Madness

Hey everyone. I apologize for the delay. I re-wrote this chapter two times over, I really hope it's up to your expectations. I did a little calculation and found out this story's still gonna be on for a while. School's started again. Waaahhh. I'm in for another year full of torture. But with any luck a month will pass real soon and the summer vacation will start. I hope you all like the story. I can't believe it's reached 40 chapters. Now the question is whether I can score a half century or not. I'm pretty sure I can. What do you guys think? Please do review!

* * *

Naruto panted heavily as Fukasaku and Shima landed beside him. They both sent a look of concern towards the blond boy.

"Are you okay, Naruto-Boy?" asked Fukasaku as said boy got up and clenched his fist.

"I'm absolutely dandy. Now I've got to find the others and protect Sakura-chan. Granny told us that there were six of 'em. Kakashi-sensei, Guy-sensei and Anko-sensei took down one I think. And we've taken another one down so only four 'em are left" said Naruto as he turned away.

Shima sent a wary glance at the pile of rubble which was once part of a building before Rasenshuriken has hit it.

"_Such a terrifying jutsu. One that even Jiraiya-Boy would find difficult to master. I see now why Jiraiya was so fond of this boy. His determination and sincerity is hard to go up against. He's the type who'd still try after falling off a cliff"_ thought Shima.

"Come on, let's go" said Naruto. Suddenly the ground underneath his foot began shaking.

"What the…? What's going on?" cried Naruto as Fukasaku's gaze turned to the pile of rubble.

"Could it possibly be…? The Akatsuki woman? But Naruto-Boy, I thought your jutsu hit her head on" cried Fukasaku.

"It did, but…why? Nobody can survive a Rasenshuriken when it hits you directly like it hit her" cried Naruto.

"Naruto!" came a cry as Naruto turned to find Neji Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru Nara and Shizune running up towards him.

"Naruto-kun, did you happen to encounter an Akatsuki?" cried Shizune looking worried.

"Yeah I did. I thought I killed her with my Rasenshuriken but…apparently not" said Naruto turning towards the pile of rubble which was shaking now.

"Strange craters have appeared all over the village, we were worried about you fighting the woman alone so we…"

"What was that? Craters? The village is filled with craters?" asked Fukasaku.

"Hai, they're fairly large and there doesn't seem to be anything inside. So far nothing has happened but there must be some significance to…"

Neji's words were cut short as the pile of rubble fallen on Akane shot into the sky and shattered as the fell around a figure which stood up now.

"W-w-hat the heck is that?" cried Shikaku.

Akane's cloak had torn off and her tight leggings and dilapidated shirt were torn at place. Her bruised but pale skin was now filled with lines which resembled cracks. She looked like a porcelain doll which had been hit by a stone and was about to shatter into pieces.

"Konoha is trash. All Shinobi of Konoha are trash. They're underhand and deceptive. They're trash. Uzumaki Naruto is a weapon for war. Haruno Sakura is a fool. The Hokage is trash. Konoha is trash. Everything is trash. Trash must be put into a dustbin and…"

"Shut the hell up!" cried Naruto as Ino took a step back.

"W-what is that terrifying chakra is radiating from her. It's burning me like it's a wave of fire" she said as Shizune nodded.

"I can feel that as well. Should we retreat?"

"…trash is meant to be cast aside. Trash does not deserve to live a happy life. Trash is a parasite which deprives people of their happiness. Trash must be put into an incinerator and burnt away. Konoha is trash. Therefore…Konoha…must…burn" the last four words were said with gaps and just as Akane muttered burn the crack like marks on her body as well as her sunken eyes turned a magma red and suddenly huge cracks began forming underneath her feet.

* * *

Kakashi, Gai, Hinata, Lee, Kiba, Tenten, Shino and Anko stared uneasily as Katsuyu enveloped them all.

"Ugghh, excuse me for saying this Katsuyu-Sama. I'm…well, you're not very comfortable to... ahhhhgghh" Kiba disappeared within Katsuyu along with his yells and screams as Shino gave an exasperated sigh.

"Katsuyu-Sama, why has Hokage-Sama given orders for us to be within you? Is…something wrong with the village?" asked Tenten apprehensively.

"Mysterious craters have appeared all over the village. Tsunade can feel menacing chakra emanating from within it. Her theory is that it may release some sort of poisonous gas or some wide spreading jutsu. So meanwhile we should all take cover. Since we can't evacuate everyone fast enough this is our only option" said Katsuyu.

"But what can…?"

Just then the ground beneath her began developing cracks. They all looked around as the entire field began cracking up.

"Hurry everyone, we don't have much time" cried Katsuyu urgently as everyone disappeared within her.

* * *

Naruto, Neji, Shikaku, Shikamaru, Ino and Shizune ran as fast as they could with amazing speed as ground kept on cracking underneath them. Trees fell, buildings fell. Most of the people seemed to be safely evacuated however a few stranded here and there could be seen.

"No, Naruto-kun. Our priority is you. If we fail to keep you safe then the world will be in danger. I'm sure Katsuyu-Sama will find her way to those villagers" said Shizune as Naruto showed every sign of jumping to their rescue.

"Naruto-kun, for once I'm not going to hesitate to use force to restrain you, so don't think you can hoodwink me" said Shikaku.

Shikamaru glanced at his father. On surface he still had his lazy, don't-care look but Shikamaru could see sparks of anxiety flash through his eyes.

"Is it just me or is the ground becoming…hotter?" asked Ino suddenly.

"No, it's not just you. We can all feel it. This gas which is erupting from the cracks. There's no doubt about it. It's volcanic gas. Which means either there's going to be a breakout of poisonous gas in the village or else…"

Neji looked away as Shizune cried out in shock.

"No, we absolutely cannot let that happen, under any circumstance we cannot" she cried, her eyes filled with horror.

"There's nothing we can do about it. I know this jutsu. It's an old jutsu. Probably from the arsenal of some of the very first Shinobi. How this Akatsuki got hold of such a jutsu. I have no idea. Also did you sense the armor around her? Made of the wind? Both of these seem to be elemental jutsu which if I'm not wrong are stolen from each of the five great ninja villages." Said Shikamaru.

"Yes but how do we avoid them?" asked Shizune urgently as hot steam began flowing out from the cracks.

"The only way I know is to take down the user. But that's impossible now. We have to get Naruto to safe…"

Just then hot magma gushed out of the cracks. And with a huge explosion every single crater in Konoha erupted a huge rock with cracks on them. Through the cracks one could see boiling lava inside. The rocks flew high into the air and exploded into smaller rocks which then rained down upon the village of Konohagakure.

The moment the smaller rocks came in touch with any solid matter it exploded with a huge noise spraying lava everywhere and wiping out everything in the place it fell. The same thing happened to all the other hundreds of rocks which fell and exploded on Konoha reducing the village to dust.

* * *

Pain watched apathetically as the corpse of his former sensei Jiraiya disappeared into the depths of the ocean.

"_May you rest in peace, Jiraiya-sensei"_ he thought as he lowered his head respectfully for a moment.

"That was a close call wasn't it?" asked Madara Uchiha landing next to Pain who turned away.

"Perhaps"

"If he'd known there were six of you and your visions were interlinked then he'd probably have defeated you," said Madara with a light amusement hidden in his voice "Makes one feel rather inadequate after a splendid victory does it not?"

"Indeed. Now I realize how you must have felt after being defeated by Hashirama Senju. Oh wait, you lost that fight didn't you? Sorry… my mistake" said Pain spitefully, growing tired of Madara's word games.

Madara stiffened a little but did not change his tone, "Indeed. I felt very pathetic that day. That fateful day"

"If you're dome reminiscing I'd like to return to my chambers and await Konan and the others return" said Pain coldly.

"No point in that. She could be dead for all you know" replied Madara.

"Dead?"

"Hai, dead"

"I shall know if Konan is dead or not." Replied Pain after a brief pause.

"I've sent a clone of Zetsu to Konoha. Our dear friend Akane Takigawa-San destroyed the village a few minutes ago" said Madara.

"I see. So she gave in after all" muttered Pain.

"She used an ancient fire kinjutsu to do it. One that was formed by a direct descendant of the Sage of Six Paths himself. She herself is incapable of mastering that jutsu herself. Even I would have difficulty. However, 200 years ago that jutsu along with 4 other kinjutsu of the 4 remaining chakra natures were stolen from Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Kirigakure. They were all placed within a scroll and to seal it one thousand and one sacrifices were made" said Madara.

"1001 sacrifices? To seal 5 jutsu 1001 people died?" asked Pain.

"Incorrect. They didn't die. 500 of those 1001 people were ordinary civilians who had to sacrifices half of their body's blood. Another five hundred were Shinobi who sacrifices every inch of their chakra. And finally the last ingredient to seal the scroll was raw chakra. We Shinobi cannot even dream of processing even a meager amount of raw chakra. It would burn our very existence. The chakra we use is merely an off spring of raw chakra. To seal the scroll three barrels of raw chakra was required. I think you can guess where they obtained the chakra from can't you?" asked Madara.

"The Bijuu"

"Correct. It was a very secret operation. Chakra was somehow drained from each of the nine bijuu. However in the case of the Three Tailed Turtle they may have made a mistake and released the seal on the Yondaime Mizukage Yagura instead which may be the answer to why it roamed free." Said Madara.

"Who was responsible for this?" asked Pain.

"Nobody knows for sure. Even I myself have a very limited knowledge on this matter. Though I did manage to steal the scroll away from its proper location deep in the bowels of the Village Hidden in Whirlwinds." Said Madara.

"You? You were the owner of this scroll?" asked Pain in disbelief.

"For a very short span of time yes. In fact I planned to use the scroll against Hashirama but controlling the Kyubi took more out of me than I had imagined it would. I didn't have time to return to my base and use the seal. After my defeat when I _did_ return I found the base was ransacked and the scroll was missing" said Madara bitterly.

"Missing?"

"Hai, missing. Gone. Disappeared. Vanished. Unknown. All that power. Gone in a poof!" said Madara blowing out air to emphasis on his 'poof'.

"And you claim Takigawa-San has made use of one of the jutsu hidden in the scroll?" asked Pain.

"One cannot take out just one jutsu from the scroll and use it to their liking. Also one cannot use the jutsu in that scroll like one uses a substitution jutsu. Even I would have been able to use only three jutsu without endangering my life or incapacitating myself" said Madara, "Each jutsu has its own special power of course. They might all be comparable. In fact twice the power of your Shinra Tensei. If Akane has used the jutsu now she will not be able to use another from that scroll for at least half an hour. The jutsu feeds on chakra you see so it's likely she has just a tiny bit of her chakra left inside her." Said Madara.

Pain looked up at the sky. "I shall return to my room to await Konan's return. Please let me know when you need something done again"

* * *

Naruto emerged from within Katsuyu coughing and gasping for breath. He noticed everyone around him except Shizune having similar reactions.

"You guys all okay?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah we're fin…" Neji broke of as his eyes widened in utter shock at the destruction that lay around him.

Konoha all that was left of Konoha were a few lumps of rubble and the Hokage monument. A crack had formed across the face of the First and Third Hokage.

"W-what is this? H-h-how could this have h-happened?" cried Shizune as her voice rose dangerously high as she fell to the ground clutching her head as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Shizune-Sama" cried Ino running towards the Hokage's apprentice and leaning down next to her. Ino herself had tears in her eyes.

Naruto simply stared dumbstruck at what lay around him.

_"So this is the power of an Akatsuki?"_ he thought as Shizune's screams broke him out of his trance.

Very soon other Shinobi began emerging out of other clones of Katsuyu. Cries of shock, anguish and agony echoed through Konoha.

Naruto took a step back. "N-no. This can't be happening!" he said as a hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed hard.

"WILL YOU BE GOOD AND SURRENDER NOW? KYUBI?" cried Akane directly into Naruto's ears as the blonde boy's heart slipped a beat and he quickly jumped away.

"Look at all the destruction you've brought upon your village. Terrible isn't it? I wonder how many of your friends are dead. Maybe Sakura? Maybe Hatake Kakashi? Maybe the Godaime Hokage? Maybe that Hyuga skank? Or maybe…"

Akane didn't complete as Neji ran towards her in rage.

"Neji, noo, don't do it" cried Naruto running after the Hyuga.

Neji began thrusting his arm towards Akane who dodged with an amiable smile on her face. However her eyes had sunken in deeper into her face and held a maniacal look upon them as she laughed loudly at Neji's vain attempts to strike her.

"You monster. You murderer. You…you" Neji struggled with words as his strikes became more powerful and wild.

"That's it. Yes, curse me more. Hate me more. Abuse me more. That way I'll feel less guilty when your mangled corpse lies before me. Actually I've never seen a mangled corpse before. I actually had this dream of seeing a corpse after being eaten by the vultures. Gory you know" cried Akane as she swung around and blocked Neji's attack and kicked him away with her leg.

"You're mad. You're insane. You're a maniac. A damn madwoman" cried Neji.

"That's right I'm mad. You see, when one accomplishes what they've been desiring to do for SIXTEEN YEARS and still feels dissatisfied one tends to go mad…RAVING MAD!" cried Akane kicking Neji so hard that he went flying back and collided heavily with Naruto.

"I've waited sixteen years for this. Sixteen years. Do you know how long that is? I'll tell you. It's 5840 days. I've sent the past 5840 days waiting for a chance to destroy Konoha but I still feel dissatisfied. What am I supposed to do? Why did I live my 5840 days then? Why am I not satisfied after my wish of sixteen years has been granted?" cried Akane as she took out a katana and struck the ground.

Lightning bolts flew out in every direction.

"Watch out" cried Naruto as he shoved Neji away from the path of a lightning bolt.

"I don't care how long and why you've plotted to destroy Konoha. We've done nothing to you" he cried.

Suddenly all the energy seemed to drain out of Akane. She collpased on the ground on her knees.

"Done nothing to me eh? You bastards. You lowlifes killed my parents. My brother and sister. My friends. My villagers. My peaceful, sweet village. My life. My everything. You stole every single thing away from me for no apparent reason. The Village of Apple Trees no longer exists because of your heartless Shinobi. We did nothing to arouse your anger. All we wanted was to co-exist peacefully with Konoha. My father would look so happy after every treaty had been made. That lying Hokage. Those lying Shinobi and their false promises of justice and harmony. You Konoha Shinobi. No, not just you. All the hidden villages. You're all just a big farce. An embodiment of true hypocrisy and lies" cried Akane as her eyes grew red but tears did not fall. Her fingers began bleeding from digging into the hard earth.

"What are you talking about? Stop talking utter crap. Don't try to make excuses for what you've done. You're a monster. How many lives will you take before…?"

"SHUT UP! Shut up you worthless tool for battle. What do you know about life? _I've got the Kyubi inside me that's why I'm alone and everybody hates me._ That's what you said to yourself didn't you? I didn't have any Kyubi inside me. They didn't hate me for something that was within me. They hated me for being me. I had nothing to thrust my grief upon unlike you. At the age of ten when i should have been happily attending an academy I had to do dishes. Wash the house and the roof. Give a murderous dog his food. Help in stealing food. Fix the wheel of around a hundred carriages. Keep the bathrooms clean. Tend to the mistress. Let myself be molested by the Masters. Do you know what they did to me? I had to take their shoes of every day with my mouth. They'd kick me every time I obeyed. They'd strip me and whip me if I didn't obey. They'd fetch a bucket of water and force me to keep my head in the water till I drowned. They'd lock me in a indoor cemetery and laugh as I'd scream and scream, beg my lungs out for them to let me go. They'd throw dog shit on me. Push me into ponds. One day HE even tried to go further. Even after I became a mercenary, people kept using me. My previous masters began sending assassins to find and rape the life out of me. What was I supposed to do except kill them? I tried to appeal to the other Hidden Villages for help. I traveled for a week eating only two pieces of bread and a bowl of water. All of this I had to endure at your age. I couldn't die because my thirst for revenge wouldn't let me. Why did I have to endure something like that? What did I do wrong? It was Konoha that subjected me to the hell I call my life. And now…and now I've reduced Konoha to dust. HAHAHAHAHAHA!" cried Akane laughing and scremaing at the same time as blood spurted from her mouth.

Naruto and the others stared in horror at the girl before them.

"_How horrible. This is what Sasuke might become if I don't get him back. Why is she spawning nonsense about Konoha causing all that happened to her"_ thought Naruto as Neji broke free of his grasp and ran towards Akane.

"I'll kill you! I don't care what you've been through. You destroyed everything. You've killed countless innocent people. There's no mercy for your types" he cried when suddenly the ground below him blasted away. Naruto and the others were caught in a huge whirlwind of paper and when the paper disappeared and the dust cleared an empty land lay before Naruto. No Akatsuki. No Neji. Just the barren hull of what was once the mighty Konohagakure.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. Once again i apologize for the delay and i hope you liked it. I appreciate all the reviewing you all did for the previousb chapter. Please keep doing so. Thanks a lot. Bye!


	41. You Silly Girl:I Love You

Hiya everybody it's me again back with another chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hadn't meant to release another chapter for a long time but I felt bad about delaying the previous chapter for as long as I did so I wrote this chapter in an hour which is supposed to be my nap time. It's a bit shorter than the usual chapters but I did write it in just an hour. I hope you'll like it. This chapter is all talk, talk, talk because I believe Akane's gone through a lot in the past two or three chapters. Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated. Thanks a lot for reading!

* * *

Sasori stared at the setting sun before him. The orange of the sun had mixed with the dark blue of the sky and formed a pinkish hue. Birds flew back home to their nests. Smoke could still be seen rising from the horizon. Where once existed Konoha.

Sasori sighed as he recollected the events of the past eight or nine hours.

He had been searching for the Kyubi with that despicable Hidan when they'd been confronted by the Hokage herself. Sasori's stomach still ached from where she'd slammed her fist in.

Hidan of course had loved every punch and kick she'd landed on him. Crying out in ecstasy as every time her fist or her shoe connected with his body.

The battle had been going in their favor. Powerful as the Hokage was she wasn't strong enough to take the two of them on together. Suddenly the ground had started cracking and a hole appeared in the ground. Taking advantage of the confusion the Hokage had escaped and that was the last Sasori had seen of her.

Within half an hour or so the ground had cracked up completely when suddenly Konan had descended upon them with her wings and Kisame and another unidentified person wrapped up in papers like a mummy. She had ordered them to evacuate the village immediately.

"What about Akane?" asked Sasori.

"She's the one causing this. She'll be fine. Shut up and move" cried Konan as Sasori had started to defy her and moved towards the village.

It had taken all of Kakuzu's five hearts and Kisame's threats of chakra drainage to make Sasori leave the village and take shelter in the neighboring forest when suddenly ten volcanoes appeared to erupt inside the village followed by a hundred more explosions. The whole area lit up with white light for a moment before it subsided again.

Sasori had immediately begun racing towards the village in fear of what had become of his partner.

This time Konan did not attempt to stop him but grimly followed behind him. Kakuzu, Hidan and Kisame stayed back.

When he did trace Akane's chakra he saw her facing of against a few Konoha Shinobi, one of whom was the Kyubi Jinchuriki. He saw her laughing loudly and coughing up blood when suddenly a boy with long hair began attacking her.

Sasori had thrown ten paper bombs around the boy causing the ground around him to explode.

Konan had caused a diversion using her 'Whirlwind of Paper' and in that much time Sasori had picked up the limp Akane and raced away.

They'd run through the forest till they reached their base in the outskirts of the Fire Country. At Konan's orders and a sharp word from the Leader's projection Sasori had allowed the medics there to treat Akane.

"I'll have Haruno look at her once too" said Konan as she revealed the second unidentified paper-mummy to be a deeply unconscious Sakura Haruno who looked practically untouched.

After standing outside the operation room for three hours without a break Konan had requested him to rest as they weren't out of enemy territory yet.

Sasori turned away as the sun sank into the sky leaving it pitch dark as the moon and stars began playing hide and seek with the clouds.

Silver light flooded the base where windows were present. The room where Akane was resting after her operation was off limits to all except Konan.

The blue-haired origami-user had popped in once to check up on the girl but she'd failed to receive any sort of reply from the girl.

"She's gone into a state of mental shock. If it had been worse she'd have fallen into a coma, perhaps permanently" said Konan to the projection of Pain as he nodded grimly.

"Keep an eye on her; she might try to take her life. And let Sasori talk to her. They get along well so he might be able to help. If nothing works bring her back to Amegakure and I'll deal with her myself" said Pain as Konan nodded.

Thus Sasori had found himself walking down the moonlit passage.

He arrived at the end of the hall way where he knocked at the door.

"Come in"

He pushed open the door and stepped into the room as he looked around.

There were five windows in the room all open allowing in moonlight from every direction. A cool breeze was blowing because the base was on a slightly high altitude.

Bathed in moonlight sitting in the corner next to a window with her head resting on the window pane and her blank eyes staring outside was the person he loved more than anything else. She wore a shirt that looked like it belonged to Kisame because of its sheer size and a pair of loose fitting pants. The pants were short enough to reveal the bandages disappearing into her leg. Her head was bandages as well and her glasses had been discarded.

"Ah Sasori, come here and sit next to her. Try and talk to her if you can. Don't get her too excited and don't be rough in any way with her. If you find yourself unable to do anything then leave her here and Pain will deal with her." Said Konan as she walked out of the room and quietly shut the door.

Sasori did nothing for a few moments before he crawled onto the bed and sat down cross legged beside Akane who seemed unaware of any change.

The window she was leaning on was right next to a deep precipice which fell away dangerously. It was a breathtaking view from the window however. The valley between the dark mountains. Tiny lights twinkled in the valley. Obviously from some small village or town. The moon shone brightly at the end of the horizon lighting up some parts of the valley. The breeze blowing through the window gently touched them both on their faces.

"That's a beautiful view" said Sasori as Akane did not even bat an eyelash.

"Are you sulking? Angry perhaps? At me?" asked Sasori playfully but Akane did not move.

Sasori gazed helplessly at this side of his partner which he had never seen before. He had seen her calm side, her angry side, her ruthless side, her gentle side, her embarrassed side but for the first time he was seeing this: her shattered side.

He began getting up when he realized that Akane was gripping his hand tight to the point where it hurt slightly.

"Akane?" he asked softly as Akane did not reply, nor did her eyes move an inch but her head moved to rest on Sasori's shoulder and her other arm lifted slightly towards his face but fell limply half-way through.

Sasori's heart ached painfully seeing his energetic, vibrant and rude partner in this vulnerable form.

"Look at me Akane" said Sasori with a slight firmness in his tone. When Akane refused to comply he sighed as he pulled her gently to him as her back rested against his chest her one of his arms wrapped protectively around her stomach and the other hand stroking her head softly.

Akane, as if sensing a familiar presence snuggled up more to it and her lips parted as she spoke for the first time in ten hours.

"Daddy used to stroke my head like that too…at night…to all of use. We'd sleep with our heads on his lap and…" Akane began coughing as Sasori reached out hurriedly for a glass of water which Akane gulped down.

"Don't talk too much. Just relax and don't put any strain on yourself." Said Sasori cringing at the blood which had come out of Akane's mouth.

"Why do you sound so sad?" asked Akane slowly. Her voice was broken and her previous smooth tone was missing.

"Akane…I…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I promised to protect you but…I failed. I failed in every way possible. Please forgive me" said Sasori as he buried his face in her hair which Konan had washed.

"D-don't be silly. It was my fault. Everything is m-my fault. I wish I hadn't ever been born. There'd be so much less trouble in the world." Said Akane as she coughed a little more.

"Don't ever say that again. What happened was not your fault. I mean well technically it was but anyone under your circumstances would be expected to-"

"Go berserk and destroy a Hidden Village? No, I don't think so" replied Akane.

"Akane, please look at me while you talk at least. It hurts me to see you looking so dead. Your eyes…they don't shine anymore. They don't laugh anymore. Please Akane, just look at me" said Sasori as Akane wriggled in his hold.

"I can't look at anything now Sasori-San. Nothing except the sky. I don't know why but looking at the night sky calms me down. It helps me forget who I am. What I've suffered. What I'm suffering. What I will be suffering. It helps me escape reality even for just a few minutes." Said Akane.

"So that's it? You're just going to gaze at the sky for the rest of your life? Are you planning to keep escaping reality forever? Is that what you really want?" asked Sasori loosing his patience.

"I don't…"

"The Akane I know would have stuck her tongue out and said something insulting. The Akane I know was alive. You're not. I want my Akane back. Please don't keep her away from me" said Sasori shaking her a bit when suddenly Konan's words returned to his mind and he let go of her abruptly.

Sensing Sasori's regret Akane turned a bit and laid her head on his chest.

"I…I'm sorry. I keep on hurting you. Akane I'm sor…"

"You're very warm Sasori-San. Very warm. It feels nice like this. Would you mind if I went to sleep like this? Because this way…I feel I…can" said Akane before her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

Sasori stared in surprise at the sleeping girl whose face had become a little more relaxed since he'd entered the room.

He gently kissed her temple before whispering into her ear, "You silly girl, I love you"

* * *

Konan peeped in an hour after she left the room to see Sasori propped against the back rest of the bed with Akane sleeping peacefully with her head on his chest.

He lifted his eyes as Konan slinked in quietly.

She gave him a rare smile and whispered softly, " Pain has asked me to tell you that our meeting will be postponed for next week so we'll stay here another two days before ;leaving. That should give Akane enough time to recover."

Sasori nodded, "Arigatou Konan-San and please thank the Leader as well"

Konan got up and left as quietly as she came.

"_Who would've imagined those two hated each other when they first met. I guess miracles never cease to happen, do they?"_ thought Konan as she retired to her own room.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. Please keep reading and do review if you like it. Goodbye for now.


	42. Reunion

Hi guys. It's me again bringing you the 42nd chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you all liked the previous chapters and my warmest thanks to all those who reviewed! I hope you'll like this chapter as well. The storyline from this point onward will have major changes as compared to the canon storyline.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARATCERS. I ONLY OWN MY OCs.**

* * *

The main hall in the Amegakure Base of the Akatsuki was brimming with activity. The Seven-Tailed Horned Beetle had recently been caught by Itachi and the sealing needed to be done before the Jinchuriki could gain consciousness.

Konan's party had not yet returned from the Land of Fire after the destruction of Konoha.

"How long do you it'll take for you to get back to Amegakure?" asked Pain as he communicated with Konan via his ring.

"A week at least. Akane has been healing well but Sasori insists that we stop at night all the time. It's sweet that he cares for her but it's hampering our progress" said Konan.

"Well next time be sure to ask _Akane_ whether she wants to rest or not. If the answer is negative you will proceed towards Amegakure regardless of what Sasori has to say or do, am I clear?" asked Pain as Konan nodded.

"Also make sure Akane does not engage in combat at all. _He_ wishes to meet with her privately after all of you get here. I don't know what he's planning but it doesn't look too good. In any case he wants her to be in fairly tip-top condition when she arrives so try and see to that" said Pain.

"Why would he want to meet Akane? She still knows him as Tobi doesn't she?" asked Konan.

"Perhaps so, but I for one feel she suspects that he's not all he seems. Anyways we'll be present at the meeting so we'll find out eventually. Apart from that is there any chance of an ambush?" asked Pain.

"Oh plenty. We're sensing hoards of rebel ninja, missing ninja, Shinobi from neighboring villages. We had three attacks yesterday; Fortunately Kisame, Sasori and Kakuzu seem to be in great condition so we didn't have any trouble. Akane even wanted to go out and to quote her 'kick their flabby asses into their minuscule nostrils'" said Konan.

"Is that so? Well I take it that it's a sign that she's recovering fairly well. I must say when you described her to me three days ago I found it hard to understand who you were talking about" said Pain.

"It was even more unbelievable to see her. Her face was all pale and grayish and cold. Her eyes seemed dead and she wasn't speaking at all. It was only after Sasori had a 'chat' with her that she got better. She wasn't very different the next morning. But since yesterday she's been slipping back to her old self though I still catch her looking morose and miserable when she's alone or thinks no one's watching. It's a bit disturbing actually" said Konan.

"Are you trying to insinuate something?" asked Pain.

"You know me too well. Yes, I am trying to insinuate something. I think you shouldn't let her meet Madara. In her current state, she might get worse and, I'd hate to loose a member with such astounding power" said Konan.

"Or perhaps you're concerned about the girl?" asked Pain.

Konan remained silent.

"Don't worry. I am too. However I cannot stop Madara from meeting her. From the way he told me it seemed his mind was made up. What I _can_ do is meet her before he does and caution her, shall we say?" said Pain.

"Hmm, well that's better than nothing. Are going to commence sealing the Seven Tails now?" asked Konan.

"Yes, get ready to project yourself. Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu and Kisame must participate. Akane can sit this one out" said Pain.

"I'm afraid it's going to be difficult making Akane sit things out. The girl is as stubborn as a mule's mother" said Konan.

"Well then let her, she's old enough to make her own decisions and she'll have similar repercussions. We're beginning in ten minutes" said Pain as his projection disappeared.

Konan sat silently for two minutes before she went out of her room and faced the five pairs of eyes facing her.

"We're beginning in ten minutes. Akane, the Leader says you can participate if you want to and if you're willing to accept the possible repercussions" said Konan watching Sasori who shout up immediately.

"No, she's not going to participate" he said firmly.

"I'm afraid that's entirely up to her" replied Konan coldly.

"She's not going to participate" repeated Sasori.

"Yes she is" said Akane standing up.

"Akane, don't be foolish, you're not even fully recovered yet let alone ready to seal a bijuu. Don't push yourself, we'll manage without you" said Sasori.

"There's no need for that. Sasori-San, please have a little faith in my abilities? I'm feeling absolutely 60% back on mark" said Akane cheerfully.

"WELL 60% IS NOWEHERE NEAR MY SATISFACTION!" cried Sasori.

"Jeez would you keep it down? I have a splitting headache since I tripped over that dead Iwa Shinobi and hit my head on Samehada" said Kisame wincing.

"I want to participate. Please let me" said Akane with determination passing in her eyes.

Sasori stared at her in frustration for sometime before turning away.

"Do what you want. I don't care" he said before activating his ring.

Konan and the other did so as well and soon they found their subconscious minds with within Amegakure staring at the unconscious body of a young girl with green hair.

"This is the Jinchuriki of the Seven Tails, Fu from Takigakure. We must commend Itachi for being able to get her here in this condition all by himself" said Pain as whistles and sarcastic claps filled the room.

"We shall now commence with the sealing. Since there are ten of us present here it shouldn't take more than two days if all goes well." asked Pain.

"Where the fuck is that mask wearing joker? How come he gets to skip out on this fucking thing" cried Hidan.

"Tobi is out on a scouting mission regarding the Kyubi. If you have a problem please take it up with me later. For now shut your mouth and seal. Now is everyone ready?" said Pain coldly

At everybody's affirmation he performed many hand seals and said, "Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path"

The wall fell back as the face of the Outer path with its ten fingers. All the members took their assigned places on the ten finger tips. Sasori sent a worried glance at Akane.

"Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon Nine Consuming Seals" he said as the mouth of the statue fell open. All the members concentrated their chakra as the kanji of their rings appeared on the fingernails of their respective fingers.

Then nine-dragon like creatures made of blue chakra poured out from the statues mouth and enveloped the unconscious Jinchuriki.

The sealing then began.

* * *

For Sousuke this was one of the most awkward moments of his entire life. Akio-Sama was standing before him with his hands crossed across his chest and eyes staring unemotionally at the younger boy.

The two of them sat facing opposite directions of the dinner table. Atsuko and Koutaro stared uneasily at the two of them.

"Sooooo, are you a friend of Sousuke's?" asked Atsuko cheerfully trying to break the ice.

"Not if he keeps this up" replied Akio coldly.

"Umm, would you like something to drink, Akio-San?" asked Koutaro.

"No thanks"

"I think we'll leave you to talk in private. I'm sure there's a lot you want to chat about. Old times and all right? Let's go Kou" said Atsuko grabbing her friend and rushing out of the room.

"_Darn. Just like her to abandon me when the going gets tough"_ cursed Sousuke mentally.

"So, you've met some interesting people" said Akio coldly.

Sousuke's gaze dropped to the floor as he began twiddling his fingers. "Hai"

"And you're happy here with them?"

"Hai"

"So you're unhappy with me aren't you?"

"No"

"Don't lie to me"

"I'm not"

"I think you are"

"I'm not"

"Are" "Not" "Are" "Not" "Are" "Not"

"In any case I've come to take you back with me and you're coming whether you like it or not" said Akio firmly.

"No"

"For once I'm allowing you no leniency. You're coming back with me and that's fin…"

"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO COME BACK WITH YOU. JUST FORGET IT!" cried Sousuke loudly.

Nobody said anything for the next moment. Akio's facial expression did not change in the slightest. Nor did his eyes give away anything. His back stiffened a little. Sousuke was now extremely flustered and unsure of what to do.

"I…I didn't mean to…"

"So you hate me that much do you? Why? Is it because you have to put up with Rika for me? Or is it because I've dragged you into becoming a criminal?" asked Akio.

"I d-don't hate you" said Sousuke still looking at the floor.

"Liar"

"Am not"

"If you don't hate me then why do you never let me care for you? Why don't you let me find you a safe place to stay? Why did you run away from me? Why won't you come back now when I'm practically begging you to? Answer me goddamit? Why?" asked Akio loosing his cool.

The sound of Koutaro's clock ticking away merrily was all that could be heard.

"Why you ask? B-because that's what I want. Yes, that's right. I don't want to stay with you. Have anything to do with you. I feel sick in your presence. I…"

Sousuke's couldn't continue as Akio kicked away the table and pulled Sousuke into his chest before wrapping his arms tightly around the petite boy.

"Please stop it. Don't torture yourself anymore Sousuke. Please don't" said Akio as Sousuke's brown eyes began to water.

"A-akio-Sama" he said as he gave in and began to cry.

"I know why you left. Whatever Rika told you, it just wasn't true." Said Akio gently.

"But it was! You were in such bad shape after battling Akatsuki. It was all my fault. I'm too weak to help you. I'm of no use. I just cry all the time and act as a burden to you and the others. What Rika-San said was completely true. Its best if I stay away from you and the Organization" said Sousuke.

"You fool, don't ever say things like that again! You are NOT a burden. You are NOT useless. Can't you see that Rika just said those things in a fit of worry and rage? She never meant to say them. You mean a lot to me Sousuke. When I was beaten up and vulnerable it was you who helped and healed me" said Akio.

"No, it was Rika-San who took you in and helped you with your life. I did nothing, nothing at all" said Sousuke.

"Rika found me after you healed me and got me back on my feet. If you hadn't I'd probably have been eaten by vultures. You saved my life and Rika gave me another life. The two of you are the most important people in my life. I know Rika can be stubborn but that's only because she thinks I might leave her. Don't take anything she said to heart Sousuke, come back with me. You will come back with me won't you?" asked Akio.

Sousuke looked up at the older man and nodded.

* * *

Akio walked out of the apartment and strolled down the street. He arrived at a cliff top where a certain person sat swinging her legs and humming a tone.

"It's been a long time since I heard you sing that song" said Akio.

"There's a difference between singing and humming. I always told you that"

"How've you been?"

"Not good at first but I'm okay now"

"You turned to prostitution? I never thought you'd stoop so low"

"I had to do something to earn bread. And I'm ashamed to admit, after that night there seemed like no better option for me. Until I met Kou of course"

"He's a nice guy. Are you two dating?"

"Like you care"

"I do care."

"You never cared. Even when we were children you were easily the most talented one of us. Akane and I always came second to your attainment of power. Even now I must be a lot lower on your list and I doubt if you even remember Akane. You've found power, influence, respect, people to love, who love you. You're complete. I'm not. Neither is Akane"

"Do you know where she is?"

"I don't. Perhaps she doesn't want us to know"

"This isn't how I pictured us meeting you know. I thought it'd be a lot more dramatic with tears and exclamations of 'I missed you so' or 'are you okay? It's been so long'. What happened to your emotional side?"

"It died. Along with a lot of me. In any case, I'm impressed you managed to recognize me on spot"

"It was easy. You have a particular feel about you which won't ever change. Maybe it's a sibling bond. Also, you had broccoli, asparagus and cabbages lined up in the kitchen. Only you would eat stuff like that"

"They give you vitamins and minerals. And was that all it took for you to know who I was?"

"No, your right pinkie finger is crooked. It always was"

"You're a good observant. Mama used to say it's a sign of beauty in girls and bachelorship for boys"

"I've missed you Onee-chan"

"Have you?"

"Hai"

"I missed you too. Both of you."

"Hug?"

"Hai"

The moment Atsuko and Akio embraced the wall of ice that had grown between them shattered and they smiled in each other's company.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Atsuko.

"I have to run the Organization. But I'll be sure to visit you very often. Also I'm going to search for Akane. I'm going to find her. For my sake. For your sake. For Papa and Mama's sake. So that the Terrible Takigawa Trio of the Village Hidden in Apple Trees can be reunited"

* * *

I hope you liked the chapter. It had a surprise ending didn't it? See you all next time.


	43. Stories of the Past

Hi everyone. I'm back with another chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you're all ready! Please do review if you like it. Warning: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS.

* * *

"Come this way Akane. There's someone who wants to meet you" said Konan as Akane stood up weakly from the chair in her room.

"With all due respect Konan-San but…"

Sasori's words were cut off as Konan gave him a cold look.

"You come too Sasori-San. Perhaps that will cause your worry to disappear for a while" said Konan.

The three walked down the Amegakure Base passages till they reached Pain's office. Without knocking Konan pushed her way in and the other two followed.

"Welcome Takigawa Akane-San and Sasori-San you too" said an unfamiliar voice.

The two looked up to see the usually happy-go-lucky Tobi sitting on Pain's chair with a grand aura around him. The Leader himself was leaning against the wall behind Tobi.

"Tobi, what's all this about?" asked Sasori looking confused.

"All will be clear to you. But first of all let me tell you a story. A very interesting story. A story of the entire Shinobi world" said Tobi in his new, dangerous voice.

"We're not here to listen to stories. Spit it out, whatever you have to say and let me leave" said Akane whose eyes narrowed suspiciously with every word 'Tobi' spoke.

"Have a seat Akane Takigawa-San and Sasori" said Tobi in a voice which could not be easily disobeyed.

Hesitantly the two sat down on the chairs left for them. Konan joined her partner.

"A long time ago, long before the establishment of the Hidden Villages the Shinobi world was but a large battlefield. Wars were very common stories. The ordinary people lived in utter poverty. The nobility lived in luxury while the Clergy lived within the confines of their land and took not one step out of it. The Shinobi that came from all three of these categories would often war against each other and thus the Shinobi world was very disharmonious. In this time of Bloodshed appeared a single man. He taught everyone the importance of harmony and co-operation. He taught everyone how to use ninjutsu to defend what you hold dear and to get along with others. This man is better known as the Rikudo Sennin or the Sage of Six Paths" said Tobi.

"Rubbish! The Sage of Six Paths is just a myth. As if someone like that ever existed" said Sasori.

"I will reply to you about this fact later Sasori. Anyways, once the seeds of peace were sown all that was left was to grow it, however this was hampered by the actions of a certain monster. A monster born of all the hatred and agony in the world. A monster so powerful that neither you nor I could have complete control over it. This monster was the Juubi or the Ten Tailed Beast" said Tobi watching the duo carefully through his right eye.

"A ten tailed beast? Wait I thought there were only nine bijuu in the world. Where does this beast fit in?" cried Sasori looking bewildered.

"The Sage fought the beast but it proved to be too powerful for even him to kill. So he sealed the beast into his own body. Yes, the Sage of Six Paths, the founder of ninjutsu, became the first Jinchuriki by sealing away the Juubi inside him. However even a man like him was mortal, a time came when he lay on his death bed. He knew at that point the beast would free itself the moment his breath stopped. He did the best thing that came to his mind; he split the beast's chakra into nine different beings and spread them across the Shinobi world. These became the Ichibi of the Sand, Nibi of the Cloud, Sanbi of the Mist, Yonbi of the Earth, Gobi also of the Earth, Rokubi of the Mist, Nanabi of the Waterfall, Hachibi of the Cloud and Kyubi of the Leaf. The sage took the Juubi's physical body and flung it up into the sky and it became the moon which we see today." Said Tobi as he twirled around once on his chair.

"How can you be sure all this is true?" asked Akane calmly.

"I have not finished yet. Now let me bring your attention to a slightly different story. Before the Sage died there was the question as to who would succeed him, his elder or younger son. He chose the latter. The elder son could not bear to be passed over like this. He engaged his younger brother in combat. Eventually from the younger brother descended a powerful race of Shinobi which ended with the Senju clan. From the elder brother descended an equally powerful race of Shinobi, which ended with the Uchiha clan"

"Eventually the Leadership of the Uchiha came to Madara Uchiha. He was probably one of the strongest Shinobi in history. However his methods did not go down well with his clan members. This is why he was shunned when every Uchiha except him accepted Hashirama Senju's offer for a peace treaty. After being shunned you might know, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama engaged in a powerful battle which resulted in Madara's defeat and his disappearance." Said Pain.

"And now that all we have told you is clear to you I wish to reveal my identity to you Takigawa and Sasori. I am the man whom you've been hearing of in the past few minutes. The descendent of the Sage's elder son. Wielder of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, Uchiha Madara" said Tobi getting up.

A silence enveloped the room and nothing except the steady patter of the rain outside could be heard.

"I see. I knew there was something off about you. How you always received leniency from the Leader. How you always seemed so chirpy and powerless" said Akane who still appeared rather calm however her eyes showed slight anxiety.

"Now as to why I'm suddenly revealing this to you. I have a plan you see. A plan to make everything one with me. A plan which shall succeed at all costs. My Moon's Eye Plan" said Madara.

"Moon's Eye?" asked Sasori.

"Exactly. As you know you of the Akatsuki have been gathering bijuu for me. After the recent sealing of the Nanabi all that's left are the Hachibi and the Kyubi. Very soon I'll have my hands on them and then my plan shall be one step ahead. After the nine beasts are together again within the statue of the Outer Path I will rejoin them to become what they originally were" said Madara.

"You can't be talking of creating the Juubi again!" cried Sasori in horror.

"You guessed it. I'm going to become the Jinchuriki of the Juubi. To do so I must have the Juubi inside me in a complete form"

"But why? Is it just because of the inhuman power which you'll get?" asked Akane.

"No, with the power of the Juubi in me I will cast a jutsu which will cause my Tsukuyomi to be cast onto the moon into an Eternal Tsukuyomi. This jutsu will turn every one into the world into my genjutsu making me the sole god of the Shinobi world. To accomplish this task I need power. Tremendous power. Power like you showed at Konoha, Akane" said Madara.

"I see, so this is about the Scroll of Five Ways isn't it? You want to get your hands on the raw power?" asked Akane.

"You misunderstand me. I have no wish to obtain those five jutsu. I merely require your assistance in this matter. The Hachibi and the Kyubi will be toughest to capture since I have decided to infiltrate the Five Kage Summit taking place in a week. Once I reveal my plan to the Kage they will either co-operate or prepare for war. If they do the latter I'll need all the help I can in holding them off. In my current state I won't be much use. But the power you showed last week is something I…"

"Enough! I'll think about it. I have nothing to say to you for now" said Akane getting up and leaving as Sasori stared after her.

"A sharp one that girl. Did you notice that unlike Sasori-San here she didn't flinch at any of the legends which I told her? It is my belief that she knows very well about the Rikudo Sennin, his sons, the Juubi and about me." Said Madara.

"You still haven't answered my question. How do you know that the Juubi even exists?" asked Sasori.

"Within the most secret base of the Uchiha lies a stone slab with the inscription of the Sage on it. It can be deciphered with the correct combination of elite eye techniques such as the Sharingan and the Rinnegan. That is proof of whatever I have just said" replied Madara.

"Sasori, I'm sure you will co-operate with us. I need your power as well. At all costs you must convince your partner to co-operate. The consequences could be dire if she refuses" said Pain.

Sasori stood up and looked directly into Pain's ringed eyes. "I shall do my best Leader-Sama" he said before bowing slightly and leaving.

* * *

Naruto limped along to the tent where Tsunade was recuperating from her massive chakra loss.

Beside him, supporting him on his shoulders was Sai who although seemed indifferent as usual had a disturbed look on his face.

"Yo, Naruto" said Kakashi came out of a nearby tent.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're okay!" said Naruto.

"Which is more than I can say for you. Look at you, you're all beaten up" teased Kakashi.

"Yea, that woman really went wild. I was just going to speak to granny about it actually." Said Naruto.

"What could she have said that was so disturbing?" asked Kakashi curiously.

Naruto's eyes fell to the ground. "I don't know if it's true, that's what I'm going to confirm it with Granny"

Kakashi sent Naruto a severe look with his single eye before turning away.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you right now." He said.

"Why not?" asked Naruto.

"I guess you haven't heard the news then. One of the Toad Lord Elders arrived an hour ago with news of Jiraiya-Sama's death at the hands of the Akatsuki leader in Amegakure" said Kakashi in a low tone.

Naruto's vision failed for a moment and his heart seemed to stop beating. Sai who was supporting him first felt the blonde go rigid and tiff before turning limp.

"What…are you saying, Kakashi-sensei" muttered Naruto in a low tone with the bangs of his spiky blonde hair covering his eyes.

"Jiraiya-Sama went to investigate Amegakure which he felt was the base of all Akatsuki activities. He was right and where you have a base you have a leader. It would seem as if Jiraiya-Sama engaged in combat with the Leader of Akatsuki and failed" said Kakashi with his back still turned towards Naruto and Sai.

Naruto collapsed on the ground on his knees as his head nearly touched the ground. He banged his fist on the earth once as Sai and Kakashi looked on.

* * *

Akane stood on the very top of the Amegakure Tower from where the entire village could be seen. Rain fell upon her in large torrents as she stared into nothingness.

"I'm very impressed you were still standing after using Kazan no Mokushiroku on a village like Konoha" said Madara as he stood behind her covered by the roof.

"I've had plenty of practice" said Akane passively.

"Mastering a technique of that magnitude requires more than just practice I'm sure. Also from my analysis you've also managed to reduce all five of the jutsu to a smaller scale which is more usable in battle. Am I right?" asked Madara.

"Hm, you're a cunning man Uchiha Madara. I'll bet you know of my mutation as well? The one from the Kyubi, since the Kyubi?" asked Akane.

"You're correct. It's tough for any extraordinary man to not notice. That night when I sent the Kyubi to attack Konoha you musty have been five or six years old? If my calculations are correct the Kyubi did not visit your village but that didn't stop you from visiting the Kyubi did it?" asked Madara.

"Even as a child I'd heard tales of the nine Legendary Bijuu and the tremendous power they held. My brother and sister, both, far more powerful than I was, they were the obstacle I wished to pass. They were my goal, to be as powerful as them. A child's fantasy you might say" said Akane.

"A very shrewd fantasy indeed. You knew someone was controlling the Kyubi?" asked Madara.

"No, that would be too much for a six year old to know. However I did know that Bijuu did not attack villages on whims. If so then the ninja world would not have been formed. A bijuu must have a Jinchuriki and when the Jinchuriki dies then the beast is released. Am I not correct?" asked Akane.

"You're very correct. This is indeed exciting; you seem to be knowing everything. Perhaps you can tell me as well that who were the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi before Uzumaki Naruto?" asked Madara.

"Of course. When Hashirama Senju finished distributing the Bijuu to every nation he was left with the Kyubi which was by far the strongest. And he sealed it into his wife, the Princess of Uzushiogakure the very beautiful Mito Uzumkai and later Mito Senju" said Akane as her voice acquired a malicious tone.

"From the way you speak I take you knew as well that I loved her?" asked Madara.

"There's no need for me to know. Such love triangles happens every millisecond. In any case she couldn't have been very important for you. You tried to kill her." Said Akane.

"Ah yes, but that was only after the Kyubi was transferred to one of her clan Kushina Uzumaki" said Madara.

"Hm, I've heard tales of Kushina. They say she was a very talented young woman. And she had a unique type of chakra. She married the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze did she not?" asked Akane.

"You're extremely well informed about the past. You're right. Kushina Uzumaki became the second Jinchuriki of the Kyubi. During her pregnancy however when Naruto was still in her womb the seal on the Kyubi became weak and the beast escaped. Only then after a short battle with the Yondaime did I manage to manipulate it to attack Konoha where our dear Yondaime Hokage sealed the beast within his own son thereby sacrificing his life and the life of his spouse" said Madara.

Akane remained silent for sometime, "You're a very evil man Uchiha Madara. You take pleasure in ripping families apart don't you?"

"Now isn't that hypocritical! How many fathers have you torn away from their families? How many mothers have you killed mercilessly? How many children have you slaughtered to be where you are now?" asked Madara.

Akane did not reply but merely got up and walked back into the building.

"You're right perhaps. I might be just as bad as you. But I have no intention of joining you. Do whatever you feel you must do. I couldn't care less" she said coldly as she walked away.

Akane did not stop till she reached the musty library of the tower and with a book she crouched down in a corner between two bookshelves and a wall. A cool breeze with light sprays of rain blew in every now and then through the open window as Akane disappeared from the world and divulged into her book.

* * *

"You're back sooner than I expected"

"I didn't choose for it to be this way. Every time I try to run one of you always drag me back"

"Then perhaps god is trying to show you that you belong here?"

"With a mass murderer? A bomber? A human puppet? A Venus fly trap cannibal? A masked idiot? A religious zombie? A miserly zombie? An incorrigible woman? I belong amongst all of them? I don't think so" replied Sakura.

"But you like being with me don't you?" asked Itachi.

"I…well, I guess I do"

"Then allow me to…"

Itachi was cut off as Pain's projection appeared before him from the ring.

"Itachi, there's a meeting in the main hall right away. It concerns your brother so I expect you to be here immediately" said Pain as Sakura looked up sharply.

"Sasuke? What are you going to do with Sasuke?" she asked.

_"You still hold feelings in your heart for my foolish otoutou? Why? Why won't you forget about him and just think of me for just one moment? Am I not allowed to be even a little selfish?"_ thought Itachi.

"That doesn't concern you right now" he replied aloud as Sakura glared at him.

"I want to attend this meeting. Absolutely not, just consider yourself lucky that the Leader hasn't decided on a punishment for you. And just so you know it, if you come under me then you're going to have a miserable time" said Itachi with a hint of amusement in his voice as he left and locked the room from outside.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. More about Akane and her relation to the Kyubi will be revealed in later chapters. Lemme know how you all liked it!


	44. New Advancements

Hi guys. School's on a roll and the assignments are piling up. I'm just praying for the 6th of May of arrive quickly. That's right, that's when my summer vacation begins and I'm free for a month. Yippee! Anyways I hope you like this chapter. As usually please review!

* * *

Pain's rinnegan eyes glared at everyone before him as one after the other either body or projection appeared on the finger tips of the statue of the Outer Path.

"Welcome all of you; this is the first meeting we're having in a long time. I have several things to discuss with you. First of all there is the matter of Uchiha Sasuke and the death of Deidara. As you might know Sasuke, whom we had caught previously had somehow escaped from his jail. Deidara flew off after him and Tobi has only recently returned with the sad news of Deidara's demise in the battle" said Pain.

"I always knew he was the type to die young. Stupid boy" muttered Sasori.

"_He's upset. Even thought the blonde-bimbo was annoying he was close to Sasori-San."_ Thought Akane, sending a sympathetic glance at the red-head.

"Sasuke's whereabouts are unknown as of yet. Rumor has it that he's reunited with the members of his team and is now gathering supporters to take down Akatsuki, which is why I wish to caution all of you to any such possible attack. Especially you Itachi because they're first target will be you." Said Pain as Itachi gave a tiny nod.

"Along with this threat there is the threat of the Five Great Hidden Villages. After the failed attempt at obtaining the Kyubi all the villages are on top security. In fact there is a Five Kage summit taking place next week where the Kage will be deciding how to deal with matters. Zetsu, you're job will be to spy at the summit and inform us exactly what the Kage plan. The meeting will take place in the Land of Iron where the samurai dwell." Said Konan.

"Hai ma'am. Consider the job done" said White Zetsu.

"You can all guess how dangerous the situation has become for us. After Deidara's defeat several of the missing ninja are becoming over confident of their abilities and beginning to think of us as easy targets. There may be an ambush any moment. As such several security measures need to be taken which I will dictate to you momentarily. Before anything, these rules are to be followed under any circumstances." Said Pain firmly.

"_Was it my imagination or was he looking at me?"_ thought Akane.

"Firstly, no member is to travel alone, there must be two of you together at all times. I have full confidence in your abilities however Uchiha Sasuke, the Five Kage and the missing ninja are not threats to be taken lightly. Zetsu is the only one who can travel alone. Since Deidara is no longer with us Tobi shall be partnered with Zetsu for the time being. Secondly, all plans regarding the Kyubi and Hachibi shall be suspended till after the summit. All efforts are to be made to recover Sasuke, and demonstrate our might to the missing ninja and the villages." Said Pain.

"That's fucking pansy. Why should we have to travel like little sissies huh?" cried Hidan.

"You will do as I have said Hidan or there will be _consequences_" said Pain coldly, "Thirdly, Sakura Haruno whom we have managed to recapture is to be kept under lock and key and under supervision at all times. Zetsu, make sure one of your clones remain near her all the time, without her knowledge of course. Also regarding the matter of the Hyuga boy you have brought back from Konoha, we shall hold him as ransom in case of any emergency, till such time keep him in an unconscious state, I'll leave that to you Sasori" said Pain as the red head nodded.

"I have not reached a decision regarding Haruno Sakura yet. Akane, Konan, you two being the only female members of Akatsuki are to try and annex her into the Akatsuki as she has the potential to become a valuable asset. Persuade her, brainwash her, trick her, force her, sweet talk her, threaten her but try to get her to join. If all else fails then she will be held ransom too and when she reaches the end of her usefulness she'll be slaughtered. Is that okay with you Itachi?" asked Pain suddenly.

For a brief moment the mask of indifference around Itachi's face fell as his eyes showed a little panic and confusion before the mask was put on again.

"I fail to see why you ask me Leader-Sama, I have no problems whatsoever" said Itachi.

"Amongst all these warning there is slight good news as well. During our attack on Konoha Jiraiya, the Toad Sage attempted to kill me; his corpse now lies at the bottom of the ocean. One of the largest threats to the Akatsuki has fallen and hopefully more shall fall in the future." Said Pain.

"Kakuzu and Akane, since you two handle our finances and side missions I inform you that all side missions are to be suspended until we're out of threat zone. Take on no missions if they do not regard the Biju or the other problems, okay?" said Konan.

"I'm afraid our treasury may have to suffer agony" replied Kakuzu.

"That doesn't matter. If it comes to that we can rob the treasury of any prosperous village. For now take no side missions" said Pain.

"Whatever you say Leader-Sama" said Kakuzu reluctantly.

"There isn't much more I'd like to say except that we're all nearing our goal. Whatever pathetic reason you may have joined Akatsuki for. May it be love, ideology, resources, religion, land, grudges, revenge and whims. Whatever your reason may be our goals are coming nearer as we speak. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for putting your life on the line and for your services to the organization. We're all alone in the world. Our families have been ripped apart from us, but I feel in the great abyss we can be together. If we're lonely, we shall be lonely together. Thank you all of you and you may now return to your respective places. I expect everybody to be present in the flesh at Amegakure by tomorrow. Kisame, Tobi, Hidan and Kakuzu, do you think you'll make it by tomorrow?" asked Pain.

"It'll cost a little more but yes, we can make it by tomorrow" said Kakuzu.

"I'll be here tonight" said Kisame.

"No problem" said Zetsu.

"Very well then. You're all dismissed. Itachi, you will come meet me with Haruno in half an hour please. And she must not know anything that was said in the meeting. Am I understood? Good. Sasori and Akane, I'd like you to be present in my office tonight at 8 sharp" said Pain as Hidan, Kakuzu, Zetsu and Kisame's projections disappeared from the fingers and the rest of the members leaped down.

* * *

"Come in" cried Konan from within Pain's room as Akane and Sasori opened the door and entered.

"You both are exactly 3 minutes late" said Pain coolly.

"Actually its 3 minutes and 45 no 46 seconds now" said Akane beaming brightly.

"We'll have none of that cheek. Anyways I'm about to give you two a mission right now. I know it's slightly hypocritical of me to assign you a mission right after my warnings however I feel that you two work the best as a team than Hidan and Kakuzu who never cease to argue or Itachi and Kisame who get along well but not up to my content" said Pain.

"Itachi and Kisame are more like Master and Slave. And it's probably wise not to send Kakuzu anywhere. He's in a foul mood after you banned the acceptance of side missions. Apparently his beloved treasury is being tortured. If course Hidan thinks it amusing to add fuel to the fire." Said Akane.

Pain sighed a little before he looked up, "Yes, quite. Anyways the mission I have for you is relatively simple. There is to be a transaction of scrolls in two days time between Iwagakure and Kusagakure. Certain members of Konoha have been chosen as the protect squad"

"I'm surprised Konoha is taking on such missions in their condition" said Sasori.

"Konoha has been drastically weakened. At such a time it has no option but to have friendly relations with the other Hidden Villages. In any case, your main objective is to intercept the exchange." Said Konan.

"Exchange of what may I ask?" asked Akane.

"Prisoners" replied Pain.

"Prisoners? They're exchanging humans?" cried Akane.

"Yes, very recently Iwagakure had sent a large platoon of men into Kusagakure to investigate a certain matter. It seems that Kusagakure managed to capture a few of those men. However during your rampage on Konoha it affected Kusagakure as well which borders Konoha, and there was a battle and both side took prisoners. They're now coming together to sign a treaty and release prisoners at both sides." Said Pain.

"But I don't see why we should be involved with this?" said Sasori.

"The Tsuchikage had in the past made use of Akatsuki's services on more than one occasion. There is a very powerful warrior amongst the Kusagakure prisoners who is slightly mentally unstable. The Tsuchikage feels that this person may wreak havoc on the treaty if let free which is why we are to assassinate him" said Pain.

"The Tsuchikage's involvement must not be mentioned of course" said Konan.

"Riiiiight, so the Tsuchikage employs Akatsuki to assassinate somebody and all the blame falls on us. Which is why I have to endure shouts of 'Akatsuki-scum' and 'Akatsuki-trash' everywhere I set foot" said Akane indignantly.

Pain's lilac, ringed eyes locked on hers for a moment, "One of the demerits of being a criminal organization wouldn't you agree?" he said.

"Anyways the treaty will be held 50 km away from Konoha in clearing of the forest which is near to one of the abandoned Uchiha stronghold. I think you can use that as a landmark. Also this is a bio-data of the man you are to assassinate" said Konan handing over a map and a file to Sasori.

"Haruno Sakura will be accompanying you on this mission" said Pain.

"Pardon me sir but her past conduct has shown she's not trusted to…"

"Nevertheless I have my orders from Madara. What he's planning I don't know and truthfully speaking, don't like either. But what he says he gets so Haruno is now awaiting her call in Itachi's chambers" said Pain.

"Very well. Do we have permission to kill more than the target if required?" asked Sasori.

"You have permission to kill as many Kusagakure Shinobi as you like however the Tsuchikage has requested that his own men may not be harmed" said Pain.

"Damned politician. That old geezer's too illegal for his own good" muttered Akane.

"That will be all then. Keep my rules in mind. Never stray off here and there alone, never take your eyes of Haruno and never let anybody else into your company. Best of luck two of you" said Pain.

* * *

_(In Uchiha Madara's laboratory)_

"Well have they set off Zetsu?" asked Madara as he twirled around in his chair.

"Hai, Akane, Sasori and Sakura are off to the Fire country" said White Zetsu.

"What off Itachi and Sasuke?" asked Madara.

"Sasuke is heading to the stronghold as we speak. Itachi has not left as of yet but he won't slip out of this for sure" said Black Zetsu.

"Of course he won't. When Itachi and Sasuke start fighting Sakura must be on the scene. If Sasuke kills Itachi then there won't be any need of her services. But if Itachi somehow evades being killed by Sasuke then I'm sure Sakura Haruno would rush to her darling Sasuke's rescue. I have conducted an analysis very carefully. Reports show that she's hopelessly in love with Sasuke. Once she begins aiding him with her power and Sasuke's Itachi won't stand a chance" said Madara.

"Really? I still feel Itachi is stronger than the two of them combined" said Black Zetsu.

"Don't forget, Itachi's been suffering from vision paralysis for five years now. His mangekyo has been weakened whereas Sasuke just keeps growing stronger. Also Haruno Sakura may appear to be a frail little doll but that's just a façade. She's got the power to crush mountains, inheritance from the Godaime Hokage I would presume. In addition to that her medical ninjutsu is extraordinary and she's formed a contract with Katsuyu, one of the toughest animals to form a contract with. The girl is powerful despite what everybody says. And this power will turn into love for Sasuke when and if she sees him losing to Itachi" said Madara.

"And what of Akane and Sasori?" asked White Zetsu.

"That's where the problem lies. Nagato has probably told them to keep a close watch on her and knowing those two Sakura won't be slipping off secretly without them knowing. If they become a hindrance then I'll need you to distract them Zetsu. Keep them occupied till the deed is done, am I clear?" asked Madara.

"Crystal Clear"

* * *

Naruto stared in shock at the condition Tsunade had been reduced too. In an attempt to shield the villagers all her chakra had been drained out leaving her in a very weakened condition. Shizune sat beside her taking turns to heal the frail Hokage.

"Gomen Naruto-kun, I don't think now would be the best time to speak to Tsunade-Sama about Jiraiya-Sama's death. She knows but it's come as a great shock. On top of that having the village destroyed has added more, she might go into permanent coma if we don't struggle to keep her alive. I'll be sure to inform you when she recovers but till then please refrain from visiting her" said Shizune politely but in a tone which meant business.

"_In other words get-the-hell-out-of-here-and-don't-pester-me-again"_ thought Naruto melancholically as he glanced coolly here and there as people went ahead with the reconstruction of Konoha.

"_Ero-Sennin. Why? Why did you have to go off alone? Why did Granny let him go? Why did he have to die? Why are the people I love always taken away from me? Why?"_ thought Naruto as tears threatened to spill through his eyes.

He reached the Konoha cemetery. He passed the graves of Asuma Sarutobi and Hiruzen Sarutobi. He passed the grave of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. He walked on until he reached a certain grave.

_Minato Namikaze_

_1981 – 2011_

_Loving son, husband, father and mighty Hokage who sacrificed all to protect all_

"_Death be not the end of life. Death be merely the door to the next life"_

"_Death is just the door of another life eh? So is that where you've gone Ero-Sennin? Have you just, moved on to the next life?"_ thought Naruto as droplets of rain began pouring down upon the village.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. I hope you all like it. Lemme know if you do.


	45. Steel Release and Black Lightning

Hey guys. The Summer Vacation's really close. And I'm feeling really happy because I just found out I'm receiving a prize for English and French_. Je suis tres heureux et excite!_ I hope my excitement doesn't affect my writing though!

* * *

Sakura walked in silence behind the two cloaked figures with red clouds. Akane's chains were bound tightly against her wrists and waist in such a way that it would be impossible for her to move her fingers to perform a jutsu.

"_Great, I get myself kidnapped, then I get myself rescued and then again I'm kidnapped. Why is that dratted Leader of Akatsuki after me?"_ thought Sakura as Akane tilted her head back a little and gave a smirk thinking about the things the pinkette might be thinking off.

"These new glasses are hard to get adjusted to" said Akane pushing the new, rimless spectacles on the nose.

"I for one feel you look more presentable in these than the previous pair you had, where did you get that by the way? A garage-sale?" asked Sasori.

"We don't have garages in the Shinobi world thank you very much" said Akane with whatever dignity she could summon.

"Anyways, are you sure you're up to walking such distances? Do you want to rest?" asked Sasori.

"Oh no not that again. Please Sasori-San, I'm fine I tell you. F-I-N-N. No wait that's not the spelling, umm, F-I-N…is there an 'E'?" asked Akane.

"Hai. It seems your spelling is worse than even Hidan's which is quite a feat" said Sasori with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Well excuse me for being so dumb" said Akane pretending to look very offended.

Sakura stared at the bickering pair feeling bewildered. _"Is this how Akatsuki behave? They…they almost seem like…normal people. Well physically they are (not Zetsu though) but still,"_ thought Sakura when suddenly a kunai landed on the tree branch next to her.

The paper bomb attached to it began to ignite when a blob of fluid enveloped it and the explosion did not occur.

"Well, what do we have here?" asked Akane when sudden three Shinobi wearing black uniforms surrounded them.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Fire Jutsu"

"Wind Release: Twister Shot"

The two elemental attacks fused and a huge spiraling inferno hurtled towards Akane when the third member appeared above them and threw down scores of kunai with bombs attached to them.

The three landed on trees and looked at each other.

"Well that wasn't very tough. I don't see why Akio-Sama lost to them" said the 1st one.

"You don't do you? Well let me show you why Akio-Sama, whoever he may be, lost to us" cried Akane as she landed a dropkick upon the tree that the man was standing on.

"_That technique, it's just like Tsunade-Sama's Painful Sky Leg, but…where did she"_ thought Sakura as she appeared from behind Sasori's puppet which held a metal shield in its hand.

Akane was meanwhile dodging all the attacks the three men were throwing at her with their swords. Occasionally she swung around ands truck one of them of the chest and another on the leg.

"_The symbol on the uniform, they're the same as that hero-assassin guy I keep running into. I've heard from Zetsu about this organization called 'Scarlet Moon'. They use the red moon as their symbol, these guys must be members, I have to keep at least one of them alive"_ thought Akane she did a somersault and landed on the neck of one of the men and twisted it so hard that a sickening crack could be heard as the man's lifeless body feel onto the gravelly ground.

The other two jumped into the air as two shuriken flew towards her. Before they could hit two jets of water blew them away.

Sasori lowered his hands which had spurted the jets a moment ago as he gave the men a dark look.

The two men seeing that they were overpowered used a smoke bomb and the entire area filled with smoke.

"Sasori-San, please continue the mission as usual, I'm going to follow those guys, there's something that's bothering me. Please don't come after me, and make sure Sakura stays where she is" cried Akane's voice.

"Akane… wait you idiot" cried Sasori but by then Akane was long gone.

Sakura stared as Sasori grit his teeth and clenched his fist as he turned the other way.

"Aren't you going after her?" she asked.

"Didn't you hear what she said? I'm going to trust her on this" said Sasori as he started walking. Sakura found herself being controlled by the puppet strings and dragged herself up with a sigh.

"_Chakra draining chains or body controlling invisible strings, they're all the same"_ she thought as she reluctantly trudged after Sasori.

Just then they both felt a huge surge of power in the west.

"W-as that Akane?" asked Sakura hesitantly.

Sasori stared at the west for a few moments; a thin spire of smoke could be seen rising from the direction.

"No, no it wasn't her. Let's keep moving" he said.

Mentally he grimaced_, "So the Uchiha are at it. I see so that's why Madara sent us on this mission"_ thought Sasori as he began to feel curious about whether Sakura would act according to Madara's plan or not.

* * *

Akio stared first at Rika, then at Sousuke, then at the stoic Hiroshi between them and then down at his own feet.

Sousuke himself was full of determination till the moment the blonde heiress appeared before him. He seemed to sink deeper into the ground as she stood before him.

"_What a triangle. I don't know what to make of it. Both of them love Akio-Sama, however I don't think Akio-Sama swings that way so I don't suppose Sousuke has a chance, then again Akio-Sama's been quarreling with Rika-San for quite a long time now so it looks bleak on the other shore as well, I wonder how things will turn out"_ thought Hiroshi.

"I'm sorry" declared Rika suddenly, surprising the three men.

Akio's face registered relief while Sousuke seemed to hardly believe what Rika had just told him.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I…I guess I was over reacting too much" said Rika who was fiddling furiously with her fingers and then the obi of her kimono. Her eyes did not meet Sousuke's but instead stared at Hiroshi's feet.

"I...its fine. I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to upset you Rika-San" said Sousuke timidly.

"I…yeah, so truce?" asked Rika as she extended her hand forward. Her pale blue eyes now met with Sousuke's large bright blue ones and showed every bit of determination at having Akio.

"Truce" replied Sousuke as his eyes for the first time stood up to Rika's and rivaled hers.

"Phew, for a moment I thought you two were gonna fight all over again" said Akio.

"Well, I was considering that option" she Rika mischievously.

"Oh god noooo, you two'll be the death of me" cried Akio as Sousuke and Rika started laughing.

Just then somebody knocked on the door of the inn room.

"Get the door, will you Sousuke? I have to speak with Hiroshi about something" said Akio as Rika set to work perming her nails.

"Hai" cried Sousuke as he ran and opened the door.

Just then something heavy fell on him. Something so heavy that he collapsed under it's weight. Something heavy which felt suspiciously like…a person.

At Sousuke's terrified cry Akio and Hiroshi ran to the door to find the corpse of one of their men fallen on top of Sousuke who was too small to get the heavily muscled man off from him.

Akio pushed the corpse away as Hiroshi grabbed it by its shoulders.

"Oh god! Akio-Sama look at this" cried Hiroshi as Akio looked at the face and winced.

"It's Keichi. And somebody's carved something on his face" said Hiroshi as the cuts and gashes on the man's face caused Sousuke to scream again and back away.

Just then there was another scream from the other room.

"Rika…you stay with Sousuke Hiroshi protect him at all costs" cried Akio grabbing his sword and running into the bedroom.

Running in he saw somebody sitting on the window sill which looked like it had been broken through. She sat perming her nails with the same permer Rika had used a few moments ago.

"Where's Rika?" asked Akio slowly.

"Ring'a Ring'a Rose" replied Akane blowing on her pinkie finger.

"I'm warning you, if you don't tell me where Rika is I'm gonna…"

"Pocket full of fosse"

"Damn you tell me what you did with her" cried Akio grabbing his sword.

"Wisha, wusha"

"That's it!" cried Akio as he streaked forwards and with a huge clang of metal Akane blocked his sword with her katana as she leered at him.

"We…all…fall…down" she said as she kicked him hard in his guts and then swung around and struck him in the stomach.

Akio retreated back a bit before he performed a single hand seal.

Immediately he vanished into thin air but Akane could still feel his chakra in the room.

Suddenly something slashed across her shoulder leaving a deep gash there.

Same thing happened on her leg, her thigh and arms.

"_Where is he hitting me from? Damn it, what kind of jutsu is this? I'd better retreat to a safer area"_ thought Akane as she jumped out of the window and landed nimbly on her feet on the ground outside.

Just then the ground beneath her exploded as she turned cartwheels and moved away as the ground exploded in each place she just lifted herself off from.

Suddenly Akio appeared behind her and swung his leg. Akane ducked and grabbed his leg but Akio managed to wrench himself away before disappearing again.

"_Oh no not again"_ thought Akane when a slash appeared on her left thigh.

Constructing an invisible barrier around her she jumped on top of an electrical pole.

"Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder" she cried as lightning chakra began pulsating through her fists.

"That jutsu won't work on me this time" cried Akio as he performed his own jutsu.

"Earth Release: Earth Spear Jutsu" he cried as deadly spear of earth _(a/n Dun, dun, dun!)_ began erupting out of the soil towards Akane.

Akane bit her thumb and summoned an eagle on whose back she leaped and flew into the air.

"Won't work on you eh? We'll just see about that" cried Akane as she shot a huge blast of compressed electricity at Akio.

The blast connected and exploded with a huge sound.

"That did it" said Akane when suddenly she noticed a figure still standing amidst the black smoke.

"What the…?"

Akane's surprise caused her movement to falter and Akio appeared before her and before she knew it a sword was right through her stomach.

As she looked down she noticed something odd, the sword wasn't held in Akio's hand. His hand itself was the sword. From the elbow down his hand turned into a steely black color which ended in a sharp point which was at the moment piercing her.

"I see, the Steel Release. Indeed that's a rare find. I don't think I…"

Akane's words blurred as Akiko took the sword out somewhat and plunged it in again and this time twisted it around.

"Tell me where Rika is or I'll give you a miserable death" said Akio menacingly.

"I'll tell you something" said Akane as she moved her head closer to Akio, "Fuck off"

Just then a huge explosion ripped Akiko away from Akane and threw him back. He hit a building but that didn't stop his momentum and he went crashing straight through three buildings before falling down onto the ground.

Akane laughed loudly. "I'll give you a miserable death he says and the next moment it's BOOOOM" she cried cheerfully.

Akio got up on his feet slowly wincing at his back gave many a painful protests.

"Aww you're still alive? Ah I see you used the Steel Release Armor right? With that you turn your body into black steel that is said to be near-indestructible right? Well, I must say that's a very rare technique, even rarer than my fluid use. But being rare doesn't make it strong. Let's fight black with black shall we? My mother hailed from Kumogakure and Lightning release runs like blood through my veins, I've crossed every limit and am probably on par with the Raikage when it comes to use of Lightning Release Jutsu" said Akane as the sparks of lightning on her hand turned black and Akane's skin began to glow a little.

"_Her mother's from Kumogakure and she's good at Barrier Art. Wow, the coincidence is uncanny. But still, I can feel a new chakra flowing through her and whatever it is I do not like it" _thought Akio as he charged up his chakra.

"Tell me, have you heard of the technique known as Black lightning?" asked Akane playfully.

"Of course, the Legendary Black Lightning developed and used by the Sandaime Raikage" replied Akio as Akane smiled and nodded.

"It's very easy to master if you know exactly what you must do to master it, that's what I did. How useful a scroll containing five super powerful jutsu can become for upgrading less powerful jutsu. Be prepared, you're in for a painful time now" said Akane as the sky which was clear a few moments ago now turned dark and overcast as lightning flashed across the clouds.

* * *

That's it for now. Please let me know what you felt about the chapter. See you guys next time. _Au Revoir!_


	46. OniiChan

Hiya everybody, welcome to the 46th chapter of the Reason for Existing. I daresay this chapter is gonna be exciting because the whole chappie's about Akio vs. Akane. I do hope you all will like.

I have a few polls I'd like you all to answer. The first one is my Best Character Poll. The Nominees are:

1) Sasori

2) Sasuke

3) Tsunade

4) Itachi

5) Sakura

6) Pein/Nagato

The next one is my Best OC Poll. The Nominees are:

1) Akane Takigawa

2) Akio Takigawa

3) Atsuko Takigawa

4) Sousuke

4) Ayako

5) Rika

6) Hiroshi

We move on to the Best Fight Poll _(this does include the fight in this chapter)._ We have:

1) Akane vs. Akio

2) Sasori vs. Sasuke

3) Akane vs. Suigetsu

4) Akane vs. Deidara

5) Kisame and Konan vs. Kakashi

The next one would be the Best Couple. The Nominees are:

1) Akane x Sasori

2) Sakura x Itachi

3) Rika x Akio

4) Sousuke x Akio

5) Hiroshi x Rika

6) Pain x Konan.

I'd be most obliged if anyone reading this chapter would send me their opinion, the result shall be announced in the next chapter.

* * *

The two Shinobi circled each other like wolves waiting to pounce and tear each other apart. Their eyes glowed with the urge to kill each other.

Akio's palms were now made of black steel whereas a black smoke-like substance hovered around Akane's fist.

"I'm giving one last chance, tell me where Rika is and I'll let you go unscathed. Otherwise I'm going to have to force the answer out of you" said Akio.

"Oh really? Just like you managed to do so on the past two or three encounters we had, if I recall correctly I succeeded in kicking your butt with ease" said Akane.

"Merely luck on your part and graciousness on my part I assure you. It's not my habit to be very rough with women, however I'll make an exception for you" said Akio.

"Oh really? Do you think you'll succeed now when you've failed three times in the past?" asked Akane incredulously.

"The past is the past. The present is that you're going to pay for coming before me you damn brat" cried Akio streaking forward.

Akane found herself rooted to her spot as her eyes caught Akio's for a moment.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Junpei-San, Junpei-San, you're children are at it again" cried an elderly woman wearing any amount of skirts and a bonnet over her head as Junpei Takigawa sighed and got up._

"_Izumi, post the letter of the Treaty between Konoha and Kumo in the mail would you? It looks like Akane and Akio are fighting again" he cried as he rushed out._

_Reaching the end of the road he found two children squabbling on the ground, kicking scratching, biting, tearing whatever they could, whenever they could, however they could._

"_You damned brat, how dare you steal my onigiri" cried Akio as he got a leg smack his face._

"_It wasn't yours silly it was mine" cried Akane when Akio grabbed out and pulled her hair. _

"_Akio, Akane, stop this nonsense at once" cried Junpei as the two children stopped pulling and kicking and separated themselves still shoving at each other and sending each other hateful glares._

"_She stole my onigiri" cried Akio unable to bear his father's stern look._

"_I…I…didn't Otou-Chan, it was my onigiri, really" sniffed Akane as tears came to her eyes._

"_Liar, it was my onigiri"_

"_Mine"_

"_Mine"_

"_Mine"_

"_Mine"_

"_Stop it at once you two. Akane it's bad to take things off others plates. And Akio she's your little sister, surely you don't mind if she takes just one onigiri?" cried Junpei ._

_The two looked down shamefacedly as Junpei's eyes softened and he kneeled down in front of the two._

"_Now both of you shake hands and apologize to each other" said Junpei gently as Akane and Akio turned towards each other and quickly shook hands._

"_Gomen, Onii-chan" said Akane._

"_It's ok, I'm sorry too, Aka-chan" said Akio as the two continuously went on shaking hands._

"_However much these two argue they're extremely close" thought Junpei._

"_Akane, Akio, Okaa-San made ramen for lunch! If you're not here in fifteen minutes you don't get any" cried Atsuko from the top of the street as Akane and Akio exchanged a look and ran full tilt past Junpei towards their house._

_END FLASHBACK_

Akane was jolted back to the present when Akio appeared before her and raised his steeled hand to strike her. Acting on impulse she dodged but she wasn't quick enough as she received a cut on her shoulder.

"Damn you take that!" cried Akane thrusting her palm forwards and sending a beam of black lightning towards Akio.

Akio turned cartwheels and dodged all the bolts that Akane threw at him before sliding back on two feet, pressing his feet on the wall of a building and propelling himself forward.

As he neared Akane with amazing speed Akane created a barrier with a swing of her hand which sent the young man flying back.

"_Such a powerful barrier, could she…? Nah, it couldn't be"_ thought Akio as he quickly got to his feet.

"Water Release: Greater Dragon of the Ocean" he cried as a huge Chinese dragon made of ultramarine blue water formed over his head.

"Lightning Release: Black Eagle" cried Akane clapping her palms together so the smoky, black substance fused together and formed into a giant eagle made of dark lighting which flew above her head.

"Die!" they both cried at the same time as the dragon and the eagle charged towards each other and clashed. With a huge roar from the Dragon and a piercing screech from the Eagle the entire area disappeared under white light.

As the light faded Akane glared at the fact that Akio's dragon had broken through her eagle causing it to disappear, but in the process the dragon had lost its power and vanished.

"Fire Release: Salamander Flame" cried Akio.

"Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu" cried Akane as a powerful jet of water clashed with the poisonous flames from Akio's mouth. However two tongues of flame separated out from the main stream and turning into tiny dragon-snake like creatures they shot towards Akane. De-activating her jutsu she dodged both of them but to her shock she found earth spears appearing underneath her and before she could do much a spear had pierced through her stomach.

"_Damn, I'm taking too much damage"_ thought Akane as she retreated to a safer distance.

"_I don't have a choice. I'm going to have to use the jutsu I stole from the scroll. However if I use the full impact it would probably kill me too because I'm not at 100%. Right, then I'll use the lesser version"_ thought Akane as she took out a scroll from her sleeve after constructing a powerful barrier around her.

"_What's that witch doing now? She's got a barrier set up and she's taking out a scroll. I somehow don't like the look of that scroll"_ thought Akio as he used his slight training in medical ninjutsu to start healing his wounds.

"Bird, dog, dragon, ox, ram, snake, tiger, rat, horse, boar dragon, monkey, hare, snake, dog, tiger, bird, ox, rat, dog, ram, monkey, horse, boar, snake, snake, snake, tiger, ram, boar!" cried Akane chanting and performing many hand seals at lightning speed.

Lighting flashed across the sky and a huge bang of thunder made Akio jump.

"Damn it, should I attack her? Or should I defend myself? Or should I…?"

Just then a huge roar filled the area. Akane was radiating a terrifying chakra. The chakra pathway system within her could plainly be seen as purple chakra ran through her arteries and veins.

"**Arashi no Niwa!"** cried Akane raising her hand as lighting flashed across the sky above her and a bolt shot down and hit her arm. She then placed her hand parallel to her shoulder and pointed it at Akio who took one step back.

"Steel Release: Impermeable Shield" said Akio as he raised his palms and unlocking from many sections black steel formed around his hand and turned into a large shield.

Akane's eyes had once more sunken into her face and her chakra pathway could be seen there as well.

"Die" she said as she released a bolt of pure lighting at Akio.

The lightning hit the shield and then vanished. The impact of the hit pushed Akio back a few steps.

Akane raised her hand again as another bolt of lighting hit her hand.

"Die" she cried again as she released the second shot which hit Akio's shield. This hit caused a tiny crack to emerge on the shield.

"Not good, absolutely not good, I can't hold out much longer" thought Akio as a third bolt hit his shield causing it to crumble into pieces.

Using Wind chakra to enhance his speed he streaked towards Akane in a zigzag fashion so as to avoid being hit by the deadly bolts of lightning

To counter this Akane raised both her hands this time and as the lightning struck them she released them both simultaneously at Akio who dodged one but met with the full force of the second one. The force sent him flying back through the wall of a building.

The lightning clouds disappeared though the weather did not change.

Akane collapsed on her knee on top of the building she was sitting on. "Phew, that took quite a lot out of me" she said as her skin grew back to its original color.

Just then the building Akio had crashed into seemingly exploded spewing debris and rubble everywhere as Akio stood up from the middle. His body was badly injured and he seemed to have lost an arm because of its mangled condition. However massive chakra surrounded him giving the appearance of an armor of chakra around him.

"What? B-but, that's impossible, you're not suppose to be alive after being hit by Arashi no Niwa" cried Akane as she struggled to get back on her feet.

"There are plenty of things I'm not supposed to be, but I don't give a damn about them" said Akio in a dangerously low voice.

Akane got up and performed hand seals but before she could complete them Akio was before her. He slammed his fist into her already injured stomach causing her to spit out blood and fly back. She used her hands to swing around and kick Akio hard but the armor of chakra felt like kicking an electric wall. Akio grabbed her foot and slammed her to the ground and then leaped up with a ball of fire in his arms.

As he threw the ball down towards Akane she brought her hand in an 'O' shape in front of her the ball of fire suddenly disappeared.

"_What the heck? How did that happen?"_ thought Akio as he threw down paper kunai on the area around Akane.

"_Damn, using the Void is taxing too much chakra from me, I can only use it once more without putting my life at risk"_ thought Akane as she began sinking through the ground.

"_Space-Time Ninjutsu? Impossible, only the very best of fighters can even hope to learn something like that"_ thought Akio in shock as Akane's hand suddenly appeared in front of him and grabbed his throat.

"Lightning Release: Great Current" came her voice as Akio's screams drowned it. Lightning pulsed through his blood shocking every cell in his body when suddenly Akane's full body appeared to be thrown out of mid air as she landed on her feet and then sank to the ground.

Akio had fallen flat on his back. He now started up at the sky which was still dark and overcast.

_FLASHBACK_

_A 14 year old Akio stumbled through the streets of a trading village hoping that someone would see him and take pity on him. He begged for food, shelter, clothes from different people hoping anyone of them would be kind enough to lend him something. After walking five hours he collapsed on the path._

_Just then he heard a sound and raised his head to see a huge cart coming at full speed towards him. The driver was not looking down and due to the darkness of the street nothing could be seen. _

"_This is it for me I suppose. I don't have the strength to cry out or move." thought Akio when suddenly somebody grabbed his legs and pulled him out of the cart's way just in time to be avoid the deadly hooves of the horse pulling it and the sharp wheels._

_Akio looked up weakly to see his savior. However the effort caused his vision to fade and all he saw before he fainted was a pair of large, bright blue eyes._

"_Yes, I'll take care of him, don't worry mother, you go to work, yes, yes I'll be careful, no he doesn't look dangerous" _

_Akio could hear faint voices as his brown eyes slowly fluttered open to the roof made of thatched straw and bamboo._

_He dared not raise his head in case he lost consciousness again; instead he tried to look around in his position as much as he could._

"_Ah! You're awake" came a young voice as his eyes turned to a small girl of around 9 or 10 years. She was wearing a peasant's robe and in her hand was a stone bowl with a club-like rolling pin. She seemed to be crushing something in it. Her hair was bright yellow, almost golden and her large blue eyes were innocent and held kindness. _

_The girl walked up to Akio and sat down beside him. She removed the wet cloth that had been put on Akio's head and took another cloth which she first dipped into the stone bowl she was preparing. A bitter yet fresh smell filled Akio's nostrils as he began to see everything slightly more clearly._

"_You had a concussion, and you're suffering from starvation and dehydration as well. The smell of these crushed leaves will help return your consciousness. My Mama has gone to the market, she'll make some delicious miso soup and ramen for us, I have water here so when you feel like sitting up do have a lot of it" said the girl in a soft voice._

"_D-did y-you r-rescue m-me?" asked Akio slowly. _

"_Hai, I saw the cart coming towards you but I knew the driver was going too fast to stop so I just did what came to my mind and dragged you away. I think I might have scratched your face a little, sorry" _

_Akio looked up again, "What's your name?" he asked._

"_Sousuke. What's yours?"  
_

"_S-sousuke? But t-that's a boys name" said Akio._

"_I know" replied Sousuke._

"_B-but, t-then, you're…"_

_Sousuke sighed, "Oh dear, here's yet another person who thinks I'm a girl. Why? Why has Kami-Sama cursed me with this feminine appearance? What did I ever do to deserve this?" cried the boy._

_Akio stared slightly alarmed and slightly amused at the tantrums of the boy._

"_This girl…I mean this boy…is a boy? B-but, with those eyelashes, those tiny hands, those…hey stop it, she's not a she, she's a he, I can't be thinking he's a she because actually she's a she no wait, she's a….unnghh whatever…this person is a boy" thought Akio glancing at the boy who was now muttering something under his breath._

"_Sorry, I…I guess my optical nerves were affected" said Akio quietly._

"_Humph, let's hope they don't stay affected for long" said the boy grumpily, pouting._

"_Heavens, if he pouts like that then…then…oh for god's sake don't ever pout again" thought Akio frantically._

_Seeing Akio's troubled look the boy looked over him. "I told you my name. What's yours?" he asked._

"_I…my name is Akio…Tak…"_

"_Okaa-San, Otou-San, Atsuko, Akane, the villagers. They're all gone. The Takigawa family doesn't exist anymore. I've no right to call myself a Takigawa when I failed to help my father protect my mother and sisters. I've failed as a Shinobi."_

"_Akio Takano, yeah my name is Akio Takano" said Akio casting his eyes away._

"_Not true" stated Sousuke plainly, he was now sleeping beside Akio, with his legs curled up and hands crossed._

"_W-what?" asked Akio looking at him._

'_What you said is not true. Your name isn't Akio Takano, perhaps you're ashamed of something which is why you won't tell me your real name, but for your sake I'll refer to you as Akio, is that fine?" asked Sousuke now playing with the rolling pin._

_Akio stared at the child for a while before smiling slightly, "You know a lot for being a ten year old" said Akio._

"_I'm going to be eleven next week" declared Sousuke happily._

"_I see, happy birthday, in advance, in case I'm not here to say it in person" said Akio._

"_But of course you must stay with me on my birthday. You're my best friend now." Said Sousuke._

"_Your best friend? But…you don't even know me. I could be a criminal or a kidnapper or a…"_

"_You're not a criminal or a kidnapper, you're an ordinary guy who's hungry and thirsty and who fell asleep on the road. Now I rescued your life so the least you can do is stay with me on my birthday and be my best friend, I don't have any other friends you see" said Sousuke looking melancholic._

_Akio looked at the small boy. The child who had decided that he was going to be his best friend. The child who had saved his life. The child who was now looking sad._

"_A-re you sure? You want to be? My friend?" asked Akio a little hesitantly._

"_No, I don't want to be your friend, friends leave each other and run away at some point, I want to be your best friend. Mama says that best friends never leave each other and always stay together. So Akio, will you be my best friend?" asked the boy holding out a tiny pale hand._

_Akio stared at the hand first and then at the large blue eyes before raising his hand slowly at grasping the boys hands._

"_Warm, yes, Akane's hands used to be very warm too, if this is Kami-Sama's attempt at giving me a second chance, then I'll take it. I'll become Sousuke best friend and I'll be sure to protect him forever" thought Akio as Sousuke energetically shook his hand._

_END FLASHBACK_

"I won't loose to you" cried Akio as his chakra flared up suddenly and he got up to his feet, gritting his teeth.

"You're a stubborn mule" cried Akane slamming her fist to the ground sending bolts of electrical chakra everywhere. Akio leaped up and dodged them and with a sudden surge of chakra he appeared before Akane and for a moment her face, was ion level with his.

"_His face…this determination…only one person I knew could show this much determination, could…it…be?" _Just then Akio hit the ground in front of her causing it to explode and sending Akane reeling back. She hit a wall and crumpled up on the ground.

"If you're not going to tell me where Rika is, then I'm going to kill you" said Akio appearing before Akane and grabbing her by her cloak and slamming her into the wall. He raised his other hand in a position ready to smash her face in, if she refused.

"An answer…for…an answer…? Tell me….who you are…" said Akane pausing at various moments to breathe or to cough blood.

"That doesn't matter, where the hell is Rika? Answer me dammit" cried Akio roughly shaking Akane.

"An answer…for…an…answer" repeated Akane, her voice merely a whisper.

"Fine, I'm Akio Takigawa, I'm a mercenary for hire, I work for whoever pays me the maximum amount of money. Now tell me where the fuck is Rika?" cried Akio.

"Akio…Takigawa…" said Akane quietly as Akio's grip on her loosened slightly.

"_Why? Why does it feel so….familiar…so right….when she says it. It feels like when Atsuko calls me by my name"_

"You're…him…aren't you? You are, aren't you? Onii…chan" said Akane.

Akio's grip on her cloak slowly fell away as he let her down gently to the ground. He kneeled down in front of her and was surprised to see tears glistening in her eyes.

She raised her hand and cupped his cheek.

"I knew…there was…something familiar about…you…from the moment…I saw you. I could…never forget… the determined….eyes of my brother…always sticking up…for the weak or poor. I've…missed you…a lot…both of you…I'm glad… I'm glad I finally got to meet you…Onii-Chan" she said, "But…it's sad…that…we're…enemies" saying so she raised her hand weakly and brought them around Akio's throat before her hands fell back limply and she closed her eyes and sank back against the wall.

"Oi, hey, get up" cried Akio but suddenly he saw the tears in her eyes.

"_Onii-chan?"_ he thought as he stared at the battered face of 'the witch', the Akatsuki woman who kept hounding him, the woman who had kidnapped Rika, the woman who was a hindrance to him, the woman whom he had once called his little sister.

"Akane…" he said as the black clouds above them cleared away and rays of sunshine beamed brightly.

* * *

Sasori's heart missed a beat as he felt a bad omen. He knew it; he shouldn't have allowed her to go off on her own. She always got into trouble.

He turned once to look at Sakura. She seemed to be unaware of anything different going on.

"What do I do? If I leave her here she might somehow get herself freed and escape and then both Akane and I have had it. But I can't…I won't ignore my gut feeling. The best thing to do is…"

"Haruno" he said calmly as Sakura turned to look at him. Immediately a senbon struck her neck and she sank into a deep sleep.

"_If I use a genjutsu nobody will notice her. She'll sleep till I can give her the antidote. I'll just go to Akane and get her back while we're returning"_ thought Sasori as he performed a complex genjutsu in the area and sped off towards the place he felt Akane was.

* * *

Whew I don't know how I managed to do it but I'm finally done with this chapter. I must have re-written it 4 times. I hope you all will like. I'm very nervous about this chapter. I do hope you all like it. I'm going to sleep now, so goodnight and see you guys next time!


	47. Akane, The Kyubi and Madara

Hi everyone. About the vote polls I don't have sufficient votes to reveal the results yet so instead of in this chapter I'll release the results in the next chapter. I'm very glad that you guys all liked the previous chapter. The story proceeds from now on.

* * *

A white starched wall. A warm breeze blowing from somewhere. Sunlight catching in her eyes. Akane had never felt so peaceful in her life.

"Your awake now" said Akio quietly.

Hearing his voice caused Akane to sit up quickly and glance around frantically for her weapons.

"Don't worry, you're weapons are beside you, and your glasses were broken so I bought you a new pair, they're quite identical I say" said Akio holding out a new pair of glasses.

"Arigatou" said Akane quietly as she accepted a new pair of glasses from her brother.

The two sat in silence for sometime when there was a knock at the door and Sousuke stuck his head in timidly.

He entered and with him was a tray on which was a bowl of miso soup, four slices of bread and a jug of water.

"I'm sorry but that's all I can offer you right now, we're running short on supplies so…" Sousuke gently set the tray down on Akane's knee and went to stand beside Akio.

"Arigatou" repeated Akane as she started at the food.

"_For siblings meeting after years they sure are uptight"_ thought Sousuke, _"I still have difficulty believing that woman from Akatsuki was Akio-Sama's imouto (younger sister). Oh! Maybe they're so uptight because I'm here" _

Sousuke excused himself and left the room quickly. After he shut the door Akane turned to face her brother, taking him in and observing him carefully.

"Your woman is in the shack behind the inn, she's doped for now but it's nothing serious so she'll be awake in an hour or so" said Akane taking a sip of the soup.

"Thanks," replied Akio stiffly.

Once again silence reigned over the room as Akane took another sip of her soup and tore a piece of bread with her teeth. Though her face appeared calm her mind was in turmoil.

"_What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do? Oh god I wish a hole would swallow me up right now! Sasori-San, Ayako, Daisuke, I'm always so natural with them but I just can't bring myself to be that way with him, I…I still can't believe that….he's Akio"_ thought Akane giving the man a sideways glance.

"Akane, I…found Atsuko" said Akio after a brief pause.

Akane's head jerked up, "You…did? How is she? How's she living? Did she talk about me? Where did you meet her?" asked Akane speaking very fast.

"She's well…her occupation is not what one might call 'good'. Otherwise she's fine, she's got a nice guy with her, they live in a small village called Natsu, and it's very close to the abandoned Village Hidden in Whirlwinds." Said Akio.

"What?" cried Akane suddenly, causing Akio to jump.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"She…she….she lives near the Village of Whirlwinds? But…but I spent many years in that village and never caught a whiff of her" said Akane in dismay.

Akio stared at her before he smiled, "You still have that habit of twiddling with your fingers whenever you're upset or annoyed" he stated as Akane blushed and put her hands down.

"And you still have your old habit of spitting whenever your furious" said Akane, "I must have gotten a kilolitre of your saliva all over me when we fought"

'That kinda makes me sound like a perverted maniac who licked you all over while fighting you" said Akio and the two laughed and like with Atsuko Akio found the discomfort breaking away. Getting up from his chair he sat down beside her and pulled her in for a one armed hug.

Akane hugged him back and buried her face in his chest, "I missed you a lot, you and Atsuko. I always wondered what you two were doing, if you two were even alive. Whether you thought of me or not" said Akane as tears came to her eyes once more.

"You silly girl, how could we live without thinking about our favorite troublemaker of an imouto" said Akio stroking her hair slowly.

After a while the two sat down cross-legged on the bed facing each other.

"Now, tell me what happened to you after…that night" said Akio as a shadow crossed his face.

"Well, I fainted at some point but when I woke up I was in some distant country in Iwagakure. I have no idea how I got there, for a few years it was awful, I was sold to a slave trader and then bought and resold by multiple masters, they…that country is corrupt, they did the most awful things to me but somehow I managed to tough it out for a few years. Then one day I was saved from being raped by some thugs by a man called Aihara Keita. He was a coffin-maker. I...I fell in love with him after working with him for a few years but he died of mal-nourishment. Later on I was found on the streets of the Village of Whirlwinds by a woman called Ayako, she and her husband Daisuke took me in and raised me to become the woman I am now. I owe my very existence to them" said Akane.

Akio hung his head shamefacedly.

"Why the long face?" asked Akane.

"Nothing, it's just…I failed, I promised Otou-Chan I would protect my sisters. But I failed. You've had a horrible time, because I failed. Atsuko had to become a prostitute, because I failed...words cannot express how awful I feel" said Akio quietly.

Akane looked at his bowed head for a little while before smiling, "Now who's being silly. I swear Akio; do you think we sisters aren't capable of looking after ourselves? It's very sweet of you, but remember, Otou-chan and Okaa-Chan raised us to be independent and strong, not to rely on others, in which case even I have failed, however it's still no reason for you to bear the burden of the blame only on yourself"

"But I…"

"No, let me speak, Akio, Atsuko and I are fortunate enough to have a brother like you, I'll be frank, when we were little you were a bit obsessed with power, all of us could see that, but still we loved you and you loved us. No reason for that to change now. We're all grown now, and we all have a place in the world. We all must learn to watch our own backs. It's not how I like it, but it's how the world runs. So do us a favor? Don't take the entire blame on yourself, nobody can fight against what has happened, all we can do is make sure it doesn't repeat itself in the future, and now I'm going to stop my philosophical lecture" said Akane as Akio laughed and looked up.

"In any case it's your turn now" said Akane.

"Well my story's pretty much the same as yours. I woke up in Kirigakure. I wandered for days before collapsing from hunger and I was saved from being run over by Sousuke. He and his mother nursed me back to health and I year later I set of with him to search for my destiny. On the way we were attacked by bandits, but saved by some guards to a rich family. The guards took us back to the mansion where I met Rika, and she sort of fell for me and insisted I stayed with her. I began training and after a few years I formed the Scarlet Moon. Since then I move here to there, doing assassinations, kidnapping, threatening, saving, whatever I'm paid for" said Akio.

"I see, and what of…"

Just then the window crashed a huge bipedal creature jumped into the room and grabbed Akio with it's four limbs.

"If you try to move a muscle I'll burn you to death" said Sasori holding a knife to Akio's throat from behind him.

"Damn it you freak let go of me" cried Akio struggling to escape.

"Sasori-San, let go of him, he's not what you think he is" said Akane not knowing whether to be annoyed or amused.

Sasori gave her a blank look, "Meaning?"

She got up and patted Aki's head which was the only thing sticking out. "This little guy is Akio Takigawa, my brother" she said smiling as Sasori gaped at her.

* * *

Sakura got up quickly and took out a vial with a syringe from her pouch. Filling the syringe with a blue liquid she quickly stabbed herself with it. Then she sank down to the ground for a few moments before placing her hand in a release seal, "Kai" she cried as the genjutsu around her shattered.

"_It's a good thing I stole some of Akasuna no Sasori's antidotes from him so when he used his sleeping poison it was neutralized, but the neutralization has a heavy side effect, but thanks to this potion created by Shizune-San, I've managed to escape most of the side-effect"_ thought Sakura as she grabbed the tree for support and stood up shakily.

Just then there was a huge flare of extremely vile chakra which caught Sakura's attention.

Looking up to the west her eyes widened with shock at the spectacle.

A huge white eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent was hissing and roaring menacingly as opposed to it stood an equally massive warrior-like creature with red chakra covering every bit of its body and two bright eyes glowing behind a helmet.

"_This chakra, I've felt it before, in the forest of death during the chunin exams, and at the bridge where Naruto turned into his four tailed form, there's no mistaking, it's Orochimaru. But I thought Sasuke killed him, then…how? And this other chakra…"_ Sakura concentrated as she attempted to trace the chakra back to its user, suddenly her eyes snapped open, "Itachi!" she cried as she started running towards the battle scene.

She paused for one moment, _"If Akane finds out she'll rip my guts out"._ After thinking for a moment she continued, _"Oh well, I could sacrifice a gut I suppose"_

* * *

Back at the inn where Akane was recovering things were much calmer.

Sousuke had been summoned to heal Akane and was at the moment replenishing the chakra of the woman who had terrorized him mentally at least twice.

"Sorry I dumped that body onto you, I just had to get Akio's enraged attention somehow" she said apologetically.

"Couldn't you have done it some other way? That was a total act of disrespect for a fellow Shinobi" scolded Sousuke.

"Leaving that Akane during our fight you used Space-Time Ninjutsu. How is that? You were never proficient with that when we were children" said Akio.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu? I never got that sort of chakra from you Akane" said Sasori.

Akane started at the two men before sighing.

"Okay, okay I'll come clean. You remember Sasori-San? About _Tobi_ telling me I knew more about the Kyubi's attack than I let on. Well that was true. The night when the Kyubi attacked Konoha I had a fight with Akio, and if you remember…"

"You ran away from home and we found you three days later, unconscious in a cave near Konoha!" exclaimed Akio.

"That's right. I ran away from home that night. I ran a lot farther than Okaa-Chan or Otou-Chan speculated. I ran right to the borders of Konoha. Even as a child I had a lot of stamina. In fact even now I can…"

"You were saying about how you ran away?" reminded Akio patiently.

'Oh right, so I ran away to the borders of Konoha and well I saw it." Said Akane.

"Saw what?"

"The Kyubi. Except It wasn't…conscious I guess. It wasn't sleeping because its eyes were open, and the funniest thing is, I thought I saw red in those eyes" said Akane.

'Of course you'll see red in the Kyubi's eyes. It's a demon for god's sake" cried Akio.

"Not that kind of red. The red we know as the _Sharingan_" said Akane calmly.

"What?" cried Akio and Sousuke together but Sasori understood whom she was referring to.

"Yeah, I saw the Sharingan in the eyes of the Kyubi. And the place it was resting, I don't know, it was a weird place. But I'll tell you this, not a scrap of chakra could escape from that place. It was an ancient Uchiha stronghold where it is rumored there is a stone tabloid from the Sage of Six Paths. Anyways, the Kyubi was leaking any amount of vile demon chakra along with the chakra of whoever was controlling it. Not finding any way to escape that chakra attached itself to the only other chakra source present within the grounds. Namely, me" said Akane.

"Wait, wait, wait, so what you're trying to say is that you absorbed some of the Kyubi and its controller's chakra? And lived?" asked Akio incredulously.

"I didn't absorb enough to kill me. I took, say a little more than a meager amount. And what you have to remember is that I was 8, and I was fascinated. I mean come on, who wouldn't be fascinated seeing the Kyubi lying in a trance with a sharingan and leaking chakra?" asked Akane.

"A normal person would be terrified" muttered Sousuke.

"Well anyways, I don't remember how long I stood there staring at the Kyubi when suddenly I was knocked back to consciousness. It was awful, I felt as if someone had put their hand right through my and was now squeezing my heart. I screamed and unfortunately I attracted unwanted attention, being the intelligent little girl I was I ran for it. Obviously the controller had bigger fish to fry so nobody came after me" said Akane.

"_Madara's great mistake. In his over-confidence he assumed that it was some passer by who had seen the Kyubi and fled in terror, he didn't know that she absorbed some of the Kyubi and some of his own chakra as well"_ thought Sasori.

"I ran and ran and I guess I fainted in that cave where Otou-Chan found me two days later. Boy did he give me a hiding" said Akane wincing.

Becoming serious again she looked at her hands, "I think I absorbed a bit too much chakra because they began to well surge out of me. Sometimes I could see claws forming on my fingers. I had urges, to kill. I would sometimes to out and slash trees to satisfy those urges. Anyways, on the night that our village was massacred, I killed all those bastards, I think it was using the power of the Kyubi, because I had a very similar reaction as to what I used to have during my urges, only it was ten times more intense" said Akane.

"_I see, so those spurts of chakra she told me about was due to absorbing too much to the Kyubi's chakra. Also that red killing intent was the Kyubi's demonic chakra overcoming her just like it does to a jinchuriki. Also it explains how she can perform Space-Time Ninjutsu if she absorbed some of Madara's chakra as well"_ thought Sasori.

"Was it the Space-Time Jutsu you used to penetrate Konoha's barrier when we went to destroy it?" asked Sasori.

"What? You destroyed Konoha?" asked Akio.

"Yes, it was the Space-Time Jutsu. Using a mixture of his chakra along with mine I can create a small void in front of me, I have another technique as well, but it comes at a heavy cost so I never use it. And as to your question, yes, I destroyed Konoha by raining magma, filled meteors down upon the village. I went slightly mad that day, it all…seems like a bad dream…now that I think about it" said Akane as her dark bangs cast a shadow over her eyes.

Akio didn't say anything more seeing that Akane was clearly uncomfortable on the topic. Silence reigned over the room till Sousuke announced in his soft voice, "There, you're all patched up now, If you'll give me that cloak I'll wash and sew it up, I can't have Akio-Sama's sister moving around with a torn cloak"

* * *

In a separate dimension with box like substances floating forming a cracked ground stood Madara deeply lost in thought

The ground behind him turned green for a brief moment before Zetsu poked his head out.

"All is going according to plan. Sakura Haruno is right now heading towards Sasuke. There's a slight complication, Orochimaru seems to have resurfaced somehow but I believe Itachi's already taken care of him. Sasuke is about to finish him off. As to Sasori and Akane there's a problem, I have no idea where they disappeared, there was no need for me to cause a diversion, I just found Haruno alone before she released a genjutsu and ran off." Said White Zetsu.

"**I'm surprised that girl still refuses to break. I have a bad feeling about her relationship with Akane and Itachi" growled Black Zetsu.**

"I don't have time to ponder about Sakura. I'm more worried about Nagato" said Madara quietly.

"**Pain? What's wrong with him?"**

"I don't know for sure…so far I believed I had him and Konan completely figured out. With the death of Yahiko I could always manipulate the two but now, something has _changed_, and if I don't find out what then my name's not Tobi"

"But your name isn't Tobi" said White Zetsu.

"Too Bad"

* * *

That's it for this chapter. I had a slight fever so I'm sorry it's a little late. But I was determined to get it out today instead of tomorrow. Tomorrow's Friday the 13th. *DUN DUN DUN*. Anyways see you guys next time!


	48. Monsters

Hi guys, long time no seen. I'm really sorry for the month and half wait but I put this story on temporary hold while I thought up a plot for another story of mine. And when I finished that I had this MAJOR writer's block. I won't make anymore excuses but thanks for reading and I hope you like it. As an apology I've got a surprise for you all after which I'd like an opinion from you. **PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY.**

The following links are to show you what some of the OCs in this story look like.

1) .com/image/cute%20anime%?o=11 _(For Sousuke) _

2) ./-mlKQv68upfA/Ta8ZqN0La0I/AAAAAAAAB74/R4oNHmLH5YY/s1600/Sword_anime_ _(For Akane)_

3) .?t=1242278301 _(For Akio)_

4) .com/albums/yy23/AnimeGirl10129/?action=view¤t;=&sort=ascending _(For Rika)_

**NOW PEOPLE, YOU'VE SEEN WHAT RIKA, SOUSUKE AND AKIO LOOKS LIKE. I WANT YOUR OPINION ON WHOM I SHOULD PAIR AKIO UP WITH. PLEASE ANSWER HONESTLY THROUGH REVIEWS OR PRIVATE MESSAGES. THANKS A LOT IN ADVANCE!**

* * *

Akio, Rika, Sousuke and Hiroshi stood facing Akane and Sasori as the sun began to set in the village.

"Are you sure you two won't stay for a little while?" asked Akio ignoring the furious looks he was getting from Rika.

"You could stay a little while longer, though I've patched up your wounds it's still better if you rest up for a little while" said Sousuke.

Akane smiled and shook her head, "I'm sorry, but we have a meeting and we're much behind schedule" she said.

"Mostly your fault I think we'll agree" muttered Sasori as Akane shot him a glare.

"Oh, okay, I've packed some medicinal supplies in your pouch thingie in case you feel bad on your journey, and I've put some soldier pills in there too in case you feel low on chakra" said Sousuke.

Akane moved forward and ruffled his hair, "Thanks a lot Sousuke, I really appreciate it, and sorry for all the trouble I've caused you" she said.

At this Rika cleared her throat loudly.

"Oh yes, I caused you a lot of trouble too Rich Girl, sorry about that" said Akane laughing nervously as Rika threw her a look of contempt.

Akane's eyes finally went to her brother's, "Goodbye Akio-Nii-san, I'll write to you after my mission is over. Please be sure to arrange a date when I can meet with Atsuko Onee-Chan, 'kay?" asked Akane as Akio pulled her into a tight hug.

"Goodbye, I'll be sure to do that, and stay safe Akane, after your mission is over we should all get together, and please invite Ayako-San and Daisuke-San, I'd very much like to thank them in person" said Akio as Akane nodded.

Akio turned and stared at Sasori, "Take care of her, or you'll have to answer to me"

"A truly terrifying prospect" said Sasori sarcastically, "But yes, I do intent to look after her"

"Stop blabbering as if I'm not here and let's move Sasori-San, Leader will have our heads if we're not there on time for the meeting" said Akane as the two turned and walked away.

The two walked for a while when Sasori turned to Akane.

"That was very irresponsible of you Akane, I mean I'm very glad you found your brother and are about to be re-united with your sister as well but please think a decision out before you take it." Said Sasori.

"Whyyy, were you worried about me Sasori-San?" asked Akane playfully.

Sasori's eyes did not waver from her's as he spoke, "Yes, I was"

Akane stopped grinning and blushed a little, "Oh, sorry, I'll be more careful from this point on" said Akane.

Sasori's brown eyes softened, "Fine" he said.

* * *

Back in Konoha everything was going well. The villagers were giving it everything they had to repair the village. However the village's favourite troublemaker seemed down in his dumps.

"If you're worried about something then you know you can talk to me about it right?" asked Kakashi softly as he visited Naruto one day in his apartment.

The blonde was sitting cross-legged on his bed with a bowl of cold ramen in front of him. His eyes hazy and unfocused.

"Yeah" he replied not looking up.

"If you're worrying about Sakura then don't. She's tough, and we're doing everything we can to get her back" said Kakashi.

"Yeah, I know" said Naruto.

'If you're depressed about Jiraiya-Sama, then don't be, he wouldn't have wanted you to be like this" said Kakashi not willing to give up.

"Yeah, I know he wouldn't" replied Naruto poking his ramen with a chopstick.

Kakashi sighed and turned to leave but before he could reach the door Naruto spoke.

"Kakashi-sensei, I want to speak to Granny, is she up yet?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi gave a sharp glance at Naruto, "Yes, she's up and kicking but, what is it you want to tell her?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm not really sure. I guess I'll think of it when I meet her" said Naruto as Kakashi acknowledged the note of conclusion in his tone and walked out of the apartment.

10 minutes later Naruto strolled out of the apartment looking slightly glum and moody.

On the way he bumped into Neji and Hinata who were helping Shizune reconstruct the Hospital.

"Ah Naruto. Long time no seen. Were you on a mission or something?" asked Neji with his usual quiet but slightly haughty manner.

"Nope. Just moochin' around ya know" said Naruto.

"Ah I see. Mooching eh? Interesting. Yeah. I'll just be over there. See you later" he said giving the blonde a disdainful look and moving away.

Naruto glared at him. "Please don't mind him, he's been working very hard these days. Everybody's on their tenterhooks" said Hinata gently as Naruto's eyes softened.

"Sorry I'm not much of a help. I'll start helping out from today." Said Naruto as he stuffed his hands into his pocket and began moving. After he walked a few steps he felt a smooth hand gently tapping his shoulder.

"Naruto-Kun, nobody blames you. It was not your fault. So please, don't take the entire burden on your shoulders" said Hinata.

Naruto looked down, "I deserve it. I couldn't save Sasuke. I couldn't protect Sakura-chan. I couldn't help Pervy Sage. I couldn't defend the village. I couldn't beat those bastards. I've become pathetic... Really I…"

"Don't say that! You can't blame yourself for everything that happens" cried Hinata as Naruto's eyes shot open in surprise. Never had he, or anybody for that matter heard Hinata speaking in such an angry voice.

Hinata herself had realized what she just said and blushed a crimson red, 'I…I'm really s-sorry. I…didn't mean to…" Naruto stared at her for a while before a wide grin lit his face up again.

"Well, wait till the news gets out that Hinata can actually get angry" he said cheerfully as Hinata blushed and looked up.

Naruto's bright blue eyes looked happy once more as he said, "Thanks Hinata, you're right. I've gotta stop moping and start making preparations. I've got Sakura-Chan to rescue. Sasuke to get back. Akatsuki to beat to a pulp and…oops, if I don't hurry Granny'll get away again. I gotta run Hinata. Thanks a lot. I'll see ya again" he said taking off.

Hinata stared for a while before a smile dawned on her face, _"Who but Naruto-kun could turn all his reasons of depression into a To-Do List in a matter of seconds"_ she thought before turning to join her brother.

Naruto now ran through the streets of Konoha greeting a cheerful hi to various people who had smiles of relief on their faces. Ultimately he reached the Hokage tower and rapped on Tsunade's office door.

"Yeah, come in" cried the familiar voice as he pushed the door open and faced the Godaime Hokage.

Over the course of two weeks Tsunade's health had greatly improved. Still her cheeks were slightly hollowed and her skin did not give of the light glow it did earlier. Her eyes were also tired and worried. When Naruto came in they lit up for a brief moment before adopting their usual stern look.

"Ah yes, I was wondering when you'd show up to pester me again." Said Tsunade.

"Granny we need to talk. And I need some answers" said Naruto firmly.

Tsunade sighed and gestured for Naruto to have a seat. When seated the blonde began.

"When I was fighting that Akatsuki woman she told me a lot of things. Now I don't know whether she way lying or whether she said it in a fit of madness but…I want to know. Did Konoha really destroy her village?" asked Naruto anxiously.

Tsunade gave him a long hard look before getting.

"You're aiming to become the Hokage aren't you Naruto?" she asked.

"Yup, and trust me I will become Hokage" said Naruto enthusiastically.

"I see, but I think you'll find being a Hokage isn't all sunshine. Naruto sometimes to confirm the safety of a large group of people something's must be sacrificed. Now I don't say I support the method they took but I…"

"That means it's true? You guys did annihilate an entire village?" asked Naruto, his eyes flashing with rage.

"I don't know the details but yes. The Village of Apple Trees was wiped out around 18 years ago by the Anbu Root under orders from Danzo. This was done without the permission of the Hokage because at that point, Danzo had more power than he has now" said Tsunade.

"But why? Why did he destroy an entire village?" cried Naruto remembering the Akatsuki woman's pain-filled eyes.

"Like I said a few moments ago, it was to secure the safety of the people living within the walls of Konoha. For a span of 6 months large bursts of chakra, matching even the Hokage's chakra level could be felt from that village. There was a rumor that rebels from the Grass had united with several of the missing-ninja villages and were planning to attack and take over Konoha. The rumor went that they had their Headquarters in the Village Hidden in Apple Trees since it was a seemingly harmless village." Said Tsunade now turning and looking at the streets from her glass.

"But how could you have been sure? It was just a rumor wasn't it? Then…"

"Danzo produced a witness claiming to have seen several rebels around the village. She told us that almost every man in the village was a part of the Rebel Army. Danzo was always a man who never liked taking chances so he…"

"Had every person in that village murdered" finished Naruto shaking with rage.

"Yes, or so we thought" replied Tsunade.

'That's…That's…it's all so wrong. So twisted…how can you just sit back and let all this happen Granny?" Cried Naruto accusingly.

Tsunade sighed, "Naruto the world isn't painted black and white you know. I'm not going to make excuses for what Danzo did, nor am I saying I support it. But sometimes one has to take a decision and that decision has to be the one which benefits majority of the people"

Naruto merely glared mutinously at her.

"Despite all that I'll admit Danzo's actions were illegal and morally wrong. And that's exactly why I dislike the man but still it has been taken and there's nothing we can do about it now Naruto." Said Tsunade.

"Granny, what would you have done? If you were the Hokage then?" asked Naruto.

Tsunade glared coldly at him, "If you think I would have done what Danzo did then I'm disappointed with you" she said.

Naruto winced a little but then spoke, "No you're right. Sorry"

* * *

Konan stared as her childhood friend Nagato sat on the chair facing Amegakure, lost in deep thought. She had only seen him so troubled a few times in the past like when Jiraiya had left them or when Yahiko had died.

His usually cold and focused ringed eyes were shifty and cloudy now and he seemed to have lost touch with reality.

"Nagato, are you okay? You don't look too good" said Konan.

"I'm fine. I just need to think things out a bit" said Nagato staring at the stone floor.

"We need to collect those documents regarding the 5 Kage Summit from Madara's private room, Nagato" informed Konan searching for something to throw him out of his trance.

"What? Oh those papers. You go fetch them. The keys are in the bottom drawer" muttered Nagato.

Konan sighed and then took out the keys before leaving the room. As she walked down the passage she pondered over the best way to bring Nagato back to his sense. By the time she reached Madara's room she was in a state of mental breakdown.

Unlocking the door she went in. This was only her second visit to Madara's room and the scent of fresh blood which lingered around the room still caused her to gag slightly. She hurried to the folder rack before her nausea became unbearable.

As she fumbled through the file the keys slipped out of her hand and fell onto the floor.

"Darn" she cursed as she got onto her knees and picked up the key but before she stood up her sharp eyes saw something under the rack. Groping around on her hands and knees she laid hands on a very dusty file marked IMPORTANT.

Picking it up she blew on the cover causing a huge cloud of dust to emerge.

"_Oh that was stupid of me"_ she thought as she carefully wiped the file clean and read out the title in a confused voice.

"Sacrifices?"

* * *

Sakura stared at the unconscious body of Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. She'd stood there stagnant for about fifteen minutes not moving a muscle.

"**Go on you dolt, do something! Anything, don't just stand there like a zombie"** cried Inner Sakura.

"W-what? What do I do?"

"**Arrghhhh, are you a kunoichi or what?"** cried Inner Sakura clutching her hair**, "Look at this juncture you have six options. Kill Itachi and Save Sasuke. Kill Sasuke and save Itachi. Kill both of them. Heal both of them. Run away as if you saw nothing. Take out a kunai and commit suicide. Which is it?"** inquired Inner Sakura.

"Thanks I could do without your expert advice" muttered Sakura sarcastically before looking worried again.

"_Sasuke-Kun, I've got over my immature crush on you…or at least I thought I had till I saw you again when you tried to kill Naruto. And now, now I can fulfill your childhood vengeance, if…if I kill Itachi right now…then…Sasuke-Kun will…come home right?"_ thought Sakura as she took a step towards Itachi with a kunai glinting in her hand. She walked up to him, her knees shaking as her green eyes fell upon his bloody and battered body.

She raised her kunai in the air preparing to bring it down upon Itachi's head. Her hands shook and her knees trembled. Tears blurred her vision as she found herself unable to stab Itachi and kill him off.

"If you're going…to do it…I'd prefer you…do it a bit faster" heard Sakura as she dropped her kunai in surprise and stared down.

Itachi's dull, onyx eyes were slightly open and there was a small smile on his battered face.

"You…you…it can't be" said Sakura as she collapsed on her knee and fell unconscious as her world went black.

Warmth. A gentle heat warmed her body. Her whole body hurt. But the warmth was kind and comforting. She felt safe.

"Are you awake now? I've made some soup if you want" muttered somebody as Sakura's jade eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was the face of Itachi Uchiha.

She sat up quickly and immediately regretted it as her back gave a wave of pain and her fingers cracked dangerously.

"Don't move" said Itachi urgently, "It was foolish of you to underestimate Sasori's poison. All his poisons are equipped with a fatal side effect should they be neutralized. Only he can tell you how to get rid of the side effect. I'd advice you to sit with your back to the cave wall and not move"

Sakura decided to heed what he said for now and tried to shift back to the wall but her back caused her such pain that tears pricked at her eyes.

Itachi got up and gently lifted her to the wall sp that she could now easily lean against it and sit up. For the first time since she woke did Sakura realize that the comforting heat she got was from the small fire burning merrily away at the mouth of the cave. She also realized with a start that Itachi's rather worse for wear cloak was wrapped around her and Itachi himself was in tattered rags.

"I…I…" Sakura found her throat to be dry and patchy as Itachi quietly handed over a bottle of water.

Raising her hand which felt like stone she reached for the bottle and drank whatever remaining water was present in it.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly.

Itachi was now sitting facing away from her.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you. I…I don't know what came over me…I felt…"

"Why should you apologize at not being able to kill a homicidal maniac who murdered his entire clan and is now a part of the world's most feared criminal organization?"

"You're not…a homicidal maniac Itachi, I know it's true you killed your clansmen but…somehow I know, whenever I saw you as a child playing with Sasuke-Kun or walking to the Hokage's tower I would admire you, tales of your intelligence and power were the main gossip amongst the lower people those days. I…could hardly believe it when Iruka-sensei told me what…you did" muttered Sakura.

Itachi did not reply but simply stared into the blazing fire.

"But despite my hatred for you making Sasuke's life miserable. Despite blaming you for me not being able to get Sasuke-Kun's affection I was still…relieved and perhaps even…thankful that you had spared his life" said Sakura clutching the bottle with her hands.

"Indeed, that's somewhat new. Nobody's been thankful to me before" said Itachi sounding amused yet bitter.

"Yeah, nobody really bothers when a person has been proven a mass murderer you know" said Sakura as Itachi gave a light chuckle.

Sakura stopped laughing and gazed carefully at Itachi's face. His creases were more defined. And his eyes were tired and simply looked like they wanted to give up. His skin was pale and dry. She gazed for a long time at his sunken face and quickly averted her eyes as he lifted his to meet hers.

"Anything on my face?" he asked as Sakura burst out laughing. She laughed till Sasori's poison forced her to pipe down and even then she burst into minute giggles.

"I fail to see what amuses you so much" he said dryly as Sakura smiled brightly at him.

"Oh nothing, it's just the way you said that made me think of a little child." Said Sakura.

Itachi's eyes widened for a moment in utter surprise.

"You've been really lonely for a long time haven't you?" asked Sakura quietly as Itachi nodded.

"Most of us in the Akatsuki are lonely people who either lost our paths or in my case, deliberately chose the wrong path. No doubt we may be wicked, cunning, power-hungry, abusive, abnormal and merciless but…we didn't chose to become this way. Well except Hidan of course" said Itachi.

"Of course" said Sakura smiling.

"Take Kisame for example. Despite his ordinary behavior he was once a proud and extremely loyal member of Kirigakure. The deception of his teammates who sold out important information made him loose belief in anything good. Kakuzu was a loyal member of Takigakure before he was sent to be assassinated because he couldn't kill the Shodai Hokage. Who wouldn't be resentful about that after giving the village years of hard work? Sasori's parents were war casualties and his loneliness took over his heart which lead him to become Akasuna no Sasori. Deidara, shunned by society, all because of his kekke genkai, nobody to love, nobody who loved him. He simply corrupted himself. He said he hated me for forcing him into the Akatsuki but I personally believe it was because my kekke genkai was a mark of my power and was greatly feared and respected whereas his kekke genkai was spat upon with disgust. Akane Takigawa…well I don't really know what happened to her but it's pretty clear from the way she acts when she thinks nobody's around that she's just waiting for this hunted life to end." Said Itachi.

"Itachi-San…you're trying to tell…me something…aren't you?" asked Sakura a little suspiciously.

Itachi smiled gently, "Indeed I am, what I'm about to say will probably go against every single thing you've heard since your childhood. I'm pretty sure you're not going to belive me. We're not monsters Sakura. I'm…not a monster. I was a fool, I did it for the village but...I'm not a monster" said Itachi as a shadow passed over his face.

Sakura's eyes stared in astonishment as a tear formed around his dull eyes and fell to the rough floor causing a dark stain to appear on the spot.

* * *

Once again I'm so sorry for the long wait. I'll try my best to update regularly again. I hope you like the chapter and do let me know your opinion on the Akio matter. Thank you guys so much for your support. See you next time.


	49. Sacrifices

Well hello everybody. I'm back again with the 49th chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. I hope you guys will like it. I've changed the plot here from the canon so please don't yell at me for getting my facts wrong. I know what the Canon is all right? I'm just taking the story my own way! Anyways I hope you guys like it!

* * *

"Sacrifices?"

Konan couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her deft hands quickly fumbled through the dusty pages of the file which had spent years lying under Madara's storage cupboard.

"_Impure World Resurrection: The Ten Tailed Beast? But…but…I thought the beast's chakra was in the Nine other beasts and the body in the moon. Then what is the need to resurrect it? This…why didn't Madara tell us?"_ thought Konan worriedly as she leafed through the pages.

"This jutsu developed by Tobirama Senju is considered one the nastiest jutsus's in the Shinobi World" read Konan in a low tone, "To perform this technique the user must have the DNA of the person they wish to revive. Only souls who reside in the Pure World can be re-summoned. Those that are sealed by the Death God for instance cannot be revived. A living sacrifice must be used as a vessel to revive the soul. Once all prerequisites for the technique have been met, the acquired DNA of the person is smeared on a special scroll and once the scroll is activated, the remains spread out in the form of a special seal with the living sacrifice in the centre. Then dust and ash encases the sacrifice's body, giving them the same appearance that the revived had at the time of their death."

Konan looked up as her eyes grew large with utter shock.

"_DNA. Madara has DNA of all the members of the __Akatsuki, taken when we sealed the seven tailed beasts. Sacrifices. A list of people he can use to sacrifice. The Ten Tailed…..Oh no! T-this can't be! W-why? W-why?"_ thought Konan as she dropped the file on the floor and ran out of Madara's room.

She ran with all her might to get the shocking news to Pain.

"_I have to tell Nagato. He'll know what to do. That…that monster. He's been using us all the time. Every member of the Akatsuki has been used all for his disgusting purpose of taking over the world! I have to tell Nagato"_ thought Konan when suddenly an orange mask appeared before her.

Coming to a sudden halt Konan hurriedly fixed her face and dearly hoped her anger and shock did not register on her face.

"My, my, Konan. Where are you going in such a hurry" asked Madara in a smooth voice.

"Oh…well. I just remembered something I had to tell Nagato before he, umm, leaves for his daily scouting everyday. Now if you'll excuse me…" Konan tried to get past him but Madara blocked her path.

"I thought Nagato went on those rounds only at night when the public is asleep?" he asked coolly.

"Yes well, he decided to change…"

"Snooping in other people's rooms is not something I'd expect from someone as dignified and sophisticated as you Konan" said Madara in a voice which sent shivers up Konan's spine.

"I…I have no idea what you're talking about" said Konan backing away slowly.

"I don't like snoops Konan. I don't like anybody snooping around in my room without my permission I'm sure you know what I'm talking about" said Madara as his single eye gleamed red with the Sharingan.

Konan gulped once and then suddenly she burst into thousand pieces of paper and before Madara knew it his chest had been pierced with a huge paper knife infused with Konan's chakra.

"Very nice try Konan dear, however if you think you can defeat me with you're pieces of paper then there's no bigger fool in this entire world" said Madara as he disappeared around the knife and appeared behind Konan.

Konan turned and threw five exploding tags at Madara which before they could detonate were sucked in by Madara's Space-Time Jutsu.

Konan was kicked forward and crashed with the wall. Her head began bleeding as she saw double. Before she knew it Madara's hands were on her neck. His one eye glaring at her. He must have sensed her fear because she could feel it in his chakra. He was going to kill her.

* * *

Silence reigned over the cave where Itachi and Sakura had rested for the night. Itachi after his unhappy outburst seemed horrified at revealing such a weak side of himself to a mere kunoichi from Konoha had quickly reverted back to his cold, killer mode and had ignored Sakura for as long as the pinkette could bare it.

"How long do you think this poison will last?" she asked feeling her stiff arms and legs with a wince.

"Ask its maker"

"Umm, do you think we might have any food?"

"I could think its Thanksgivings today and there is a huge turkey sitting in front of me but that doesn't count now does it?"

"You don't have to be mean"

"You don't have to act like a foolish little airhead. You give kunoichi in general a bad name" said Itachi as Sakura's wild temper rose and Inner Sakura screamed with rage.

"**Why that incorrigible male chauvinist pig. How the hell did I ever think he was sexy? I'm so going to punch the living daylights out of him. Lemme at him. Lemme at him, I say."** Screamed Inner Sakura.

"_Oh just shut up for now. I don't know why he's acting like this"_ thought Sakura as Itachi got up.

"Where're you going?" asked Sakura.

"To have a bath, why, interested?" asked Itachi smirking as Sakura turned red and screamed, "Why the hell would I be interested, you pervert!"

Itachi walked out pretending to cover his ears and soon found a small natural pool near the cave.

"_Good thing I found this natural hot pool yesterday"_ he thought as he stripped off his Akatsuki cloak, shirt and pant and lowered himself in the steamy water.

He placed his arms on the rock and let out a large sigh of comfort as his aches and pains from the battle with Sasuke began diminishing thanks to the warm water.

"Well, well, aren't we feeling rather comfortable today?"

Itachi's relaxed eyes snapped open as he glanced around suspiciously through the mist and his eyes came to rest on a lone figure sitting on the opposite rock which was slightly above the water level. The person in question was dipping their legs into the water and was swinging them around.

"Ah, Takigawa-San. May I ask just how long you've been sitting there in the steam?" asked Itachi with his usual calmness but a hint of irritability in his voice.

"Oh long enough. Don't worry though. I won't tell anybody about _what I saw. _But I've got to hand it to you Uchiha-San, who would've imagined you'd be… ahem, well I guess I really shouldn't mention it now should I?. Heh, heh, heh."

Itachi had the uncontrollable urge to strangle the very life out of the most incorrigible woman sitting on the rocks and dipping her feet in the water and commenting on his…private parts.

"Have you nothing better to do than sit here gawking at things which you shouldn't?" asked Itachi coldly.

"Oooh, do I sense a note of anger? Don't worry Uchiha-San; I can assure you I'm carrying out my job. It may seem to you that I'm a peeping Tommy who wishes to see more of well, men so to say, but my job as instructed by the Leader is to locate Itachi Uchiha and drag him back to the Headquarters dead or alive. And I'm sure we both know that after that astounding but rather unnecessary fight with your otoutou your energy levels couldn't match a rabbit, it would be in your best interest to come quietly, get my point?" asked Akane getting up.

"Yes" replied Itachi shortly as Akane smiled.

"Splendid. Sasori-San has gone to check up on Little Miss I-So-Hate-The-Akatsuki. He says a rather powerful side effect…"

"Has already gripped Sakura. I'm sure Sasori-San is more than capable of removing it which is more than what can be said for you" said Itachi coldly.

"Tosh" replied Akane rudely before grinning cheekily, "I say Itachi-San, and wouldn't it be rotten if somebody stole your clothes now? Rotten for you I mean. So many girls would love to see your naked goodness wandering on the streets with…"

Itachi's mind filled with panic as he groped around for his clothes and to his relief he found them where he left them, undisturbed.

"I was just kidding. Anyways I'm going back up to the cave. Do join us in a few minutes won't you?" asked Akane sweetly before trotting back to the cave.

Itachi cautiously rose out of the water and grabbed his clothes but to his horror he found his underwear shredded in the front and his cloak with smiley faces drawn all over it in permanent black ink. Grabbing them both he sank back into the water swearing vengeance as he heard Akane's cunning laughter up from the cave.

Akane entered the cave to find Sakura shivering in her undergarments while Sasori inspected her carefully with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Well we meet again do we? Funny, our always meeting like this when you're attempting to escape" said Akane lightly as Sakura scowled at her.

"You're a fool Sakura Haruno, do you know what would've happened if I hadn't turned up right now? Another two or three hours and you would've goner into a vegetable state, unable to move any part of your body, if the poison had reached your brain your entire body's functioning would stop. And you call yourself a medical ninja" scoffed Sasori.

Sakura glared at him, "I'm a medic, I deal with the solution of the problem. I don't deal with poisons"

"Fool, how do you expect to find the solution if you don't know what the problem is? Can you tell the answer is 4 without knowing the question is 2 + 2+ =?" asked Sasori.

"Moreover Sakura I'm surprised you're not more knowledgeable about poisons. I've heard you've taken training from Shizune, Godaime Hokage's apprentice. I heard she specializes in poisons and…"

"Ah, Shizune. No wonder you managed to escape my poison. You've got an antidote from her haven't you? Or from the Godaime Hokage perhaps? Akane! Strip her and search everywhere. The leader will not tolerate any more mistakes" said Sasori sharply as Sakura gave him a look of horror.

"Hey wait, I'm not going to let you strip me!" said Sakura as Akane towered over her.

"Why not? Oh of course, you'd prefer if Uchiha-San did it right? Unfortunately he's a little occupied right now otherwise I'm sure he'd be delighted to oblige, but for now…" Akane's tone became hard, "You'll have to make do with me"

She turned to Sasori, "Konan-San sent along a new cloak for Uchiha-San, give it to him will you? He's bathing at the pond nearby" said Akane throwing a new cloak over to Sasori who grumbled.

"Why must I listen to your orders woman?" he asked grumpily as Akane smiled, "Because I'm otherwise occupied you silly puppeteer. Now take that cloak and get lost"

As Sasori gave her a death glare and trudged out Akane smiled evilly at Sakura.

"Now, you can be a good little girl and take your underwear off. Or I can be a bad little girl and tear them off. The choice is completely yours I assure you. But you've got only 1 minute to answer" said Akane with her hands on her hips.

"_She probably will tear my undies off if I don't co-operate. I'd better do it myself"_ thought Sakura as she slowly stood up and turned around and began taking off her bra.

"There's a good girl." Said Akane, her sharp ears picking up the sound of the two men coming closer. _"Why not give the boys a little show?"_ she thought wickedly as Sakura began taking off her panties. A small vial containing a thick black liquid fell onto the floor.

"_Hmm, they're almost here now,"_ thought Akane as she spoke aloud, "Okay Sakura now turn around so I can see if you're not clutching anything in the front"

Sakura reluctantly turned around and at that moment Akane slid away revealing a red-faced Sasori and a impassive Itachi staring at her.

Sakura gave a scream and clutched at her chest before turning and running away towards the back of the cave. Akane burst into an immense attack of mirthful laughter as Sasori and Itachi merely stared.

"Oh my god that was superb. The look on your faces hee, hee, ha, ha" cried Akane as she rolled on the cave floor.

Not knowing what to do Sasori stepped forward and picked up the small black vial that had slipped out from Sakura and opened it carefully. Taking a careful sniff he took the vial and crushed it with his hand spraying the black liquid everywhere.

"Poison, when mixed in water or any liquid puts the consumer permanently to sleep. Made by the Godaime Hokage I should think" said Sasori quietly as Akane stopped laughing and got up.

Sakura came back after fifteen minutes looking pointedly away from the two men and glaring daggers at Akane who sent her back a wink.

"Right now that we're all ready we should head back to base. Uchiha, you are aware I'm sure, of the consequences of your actions?" asked Sasori.

Itachi nodded.

"And you Haruno. This is the third or fourth time you have attempted to escape the Akatsuki. You will be heavily punished for this" said Sasori darkly as Sakura felt a shiver going down her spine.

"Oh quit it with the threatening Sasori-San and let's go. We've got a long way ahead and very little time" said Akane cheerfully as the other three glared at her for their own reasons.

* * *

In Madara's dimension Sasuke sat meditating quietly as Zetsu appeared out of the ground.

"Hmm, do you know why Madara summoned us here Sasuke-Kun?" asked White Zetsu.

"No"

"**Answer properly when we talk to you insolent boy"** growled Black Zetsu.

"Now, now Zetsu, there's no need to be violent. I apologize for summoning you here on such short notice. And you too Sasuke." Said Madara appearing out of nowhere with a body wrapped up in bandages on his shoulder.

"What's that?" asked Sasuke slowly opening his eyes.

"Unfortunately Konan snooped around and caught hold of something she shouldn't have seen. You're aware of my plans for the Sacrifices aren't you Zetsu?" asked Madara as Zetsu nodded.

"It seems she realized it after reading a folder which I foolishly left lying under my drawer. How she got into my room I don't know as of yet" said Madara.

"And so you killed her?" asked Sasuke quietly.

"No, as you'll probably know in a few weeks a sacrifice for the ritual needed to resurrect the Ten-Tailed Beast needs to be alive. I've merely placed her mind in a trance and disabled her chakra system so she'll be in a vegetable state which can be cured only by an experienced healer. Now, Zetsu, things are getting out of hand. Sakura Haruno and Itachi have disappeared. Takigawa has already declared her disloyalty to me. Nagato is beginning to waver in his resolve as well. And finally there's Itachi" said Madara as Sasuke lifted his head just an inch.

"Your previous fight with Itachi went rather well. However you should know that Itachi fought at only 3/4th of his power. At his full power he would be a tough match even for me" said Madara as he lay Konan's paralyzed and unconscious body into a wooden coffin which immediately burst into smoke and disappeared as soon as the lid closed.

"What are your orders Madara-Sama?" asked White Zetsu.

"Zetsu, you are to keep a close watch on Nagato. He's not someone I wish to go up against at this stage. Also make sure to isolate Takigawa from Sasori at the first opportunity. Sasuke, I have a rather special job for you and your little group. If you wouldn't mind leaving us Zetsu, I'd rather be alone while telling Sasuke his mission" said Madara as Zetsu nodded and sunk back into the ground.

"Sasuke, your job is a rather delicate one at this point. You see I need Itachi for a specific job after which I can leave him for you to kill," said Madara as his Sharingan glowed scarlet in the darkness.

Unknowingly to Sasuke an intricate and complex Genjutsu began weaving itself around him.

"And what would that be?" he asked.

"The girl, Sakura Haruno is infatuated with you. I would like you to seduce her and with the help of your gang, bring her to me" said Madara.

"And of what use is Sakura to you?" asked Sasuke, his vision becoming slightly blurry.

"Where Sakura Haruno goes, Itachi goes too. The girl will serve as bait. To lure in Itachi Uchiha" said Madara as Sasuke's vision diminished.

* * *

I'm terribly sorry for the 2 month delay. I had placed this story on temporary hiatus. Hopefully I'll be able to completely resume it as usual. I don't expect any reviews for these last two chapters but I still hope you liked reading them. Thank you and see you next time!


	50. An Unexpected Letter

Hi guys. I'm sooo happy that you all reviewed for the previous chapter. Seriously I danced for joy! I'm really, really happy to know that heartlessrayne, Miku Udahara and all the rest of you are still with me! Thank you guys soooo much! Another reason to celebrate is because 'The Reason for Existing' has finally reached 50 chapters! Phew can you believe I planned to make it less than 20 chapters? I just can't stop writing this story and I really hope it's becoming too monotonous or boring for you, because if it is then please do inform me.

* * *

Pain felt a strange dread in his heart as he roamed the halls of Amegakure's base searching for his partner whom he had dismissed in a trance.

"_I sent her to Madara's room knowing that it was dangerous for her to go there. And now I can't find her anywhere. This is all my fault"_ he thought clenching his fist as he quickened his pace.

He suddenly spotted Kakuzu standing at the end of the hallway counting a large wad of money. As Pain hurried up to him he looked up.

"Kakuzu, when was the last time you saw Konan?" asked Pain.

"Hmm, if I recall correctly the last time I saw her was five hours ago when she was entering Tobi's room looking rather worried. I don't think I saw her after that" said Kakuzu getting back to his counting and walking off.

"Tobi...Madara...i have a strange feeling he knows exactly what has happened to Konan...and yet when I met him an hour ago..."

_FLASHBACK_

"_Ah, Nagato, I was hoping to talk to you and...why what's wrong? You look rather harassed" said Madara in his silky tone which always implied more than what it said._

"_Nothing at all. I just can't find Konan anywhere. You haven't seen her have you?" asked Nagato _

_Madara did not reply for a while but then Nagato heard him chuckle a little and speak in that velvety tone he so disliked. "No, I can't say I have. Perhaps she was taken out?" he suggested as a chilling hand seemed to grip Nagato's heart._

"_What do mean by 'taken out'? " he asked hesitantly._

_Madara laughed, "I meant perhaps she just went out for a little fresh air. You know how much she loves to fly. She'll be back in a few hours don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for her" he said before teleporting away._

_END FLASHBACK_

"Taken out. I just can't get those words out of my head. I'm getting more and more vary of Madara as each day passes. His goals are questionable. I...don't know which path I should take at this juncture" he muttered as Zetsu crawled out of the wall near him.

"Excuse me Leader-Sama but Sasori and Akane have just returned. And they have Itachi and Sakura Haruno with them. They're outside your room awaiting your orders sir" said Zetsu as he sank back into the wall.

Nagato sighed, _"I'll have to deal with this first"_ he thought as he approached the room. Suddenly he halted, _"Takigawa-San has clearly declared herself against Madara and Itachi has been distrustful of Madara since he wiped out his clan. I think I can entrust them both with my situation"_ thought Pain as he reached his room to find Itachi and Sakura standing outside accompanied by Sasori and Akane.

"Sasori, take Haruno and throw her back into the dungeons. I have too much on my mind to deal with her at this moment. She will not get a scrap of food for a week." said Nagato as Sakura's eyes went to Itachi's who gave her a reassuring look.

At Sasori's tug Sakura slowly walked away with him. Not attempting to struggle.

"The two of you had better come in, it's not safe out here" said Pain as Itachi and Akane exchanged a glance and entered the room.

As they entered Pain performed a handsign and struck one wall of the room. After which he placed a talisman on the door.

Akane looked around, "Hmm, your reason for placing a barrier here? Is there something you don't want somebody to know?" she asked perceptively.

"Sit down both of you" instructed Pain in a quiet but authoritative voice. As the two complied he picked up a pencil and began tapping the blunt end on the table.

After what seemed like ten minutes he spoke, "Konan has disappeared"

Akane's eyes widened in surprise, "Disappeared? What do you mean?" she asked.

"Konan went into Madara's room to run an errand for me about five hours ago...I have yet to find her anywhere. I've combed the base and the entire span of Amegakure and have failed to locate her anywhere. All the guards stationed at the gates as well as the civilians know Konan and anyone spotting her would have immediately reported to me" said Pain as the tapping grew quicker.

"Are you insinuating that Madara had something to do with her disappearance?" asked Itachi, speaking for the first time since he entered the base.

"I'm more or less convinced, however I lack any solid proof. Madara Uchiha is a man I would never trust alone with Konan, very recently I have begun to doubt his plans involving the Jyubi. A recent study I made has revealed to me that the Jyubi cannot be revived by just combining the chakra of the remaining Nine-Beasts together" said Pain.

"So you're saying there's something more?" asked Itachi.

"Perhaps, however the page on that book was torn away so I was unable to read any further. But I know one thing by now. Madara Uchiha is definitely hiding something from all of us." said Pain.

"And you think that Konan-San accidentally came across what he was trying to hide from us and as a result...he whisked her away?" suggested Akane gravely.

Pain nodded, "Madara has a dimension which he has created. It is only accessible to him or to anyone given a key to the dimension. Unfortunately I have not been given the key so I'm unable to check"

"And your reason for telling us about this is?" asked Itachi.

"I have decided that going along with Madara's plan now will only lead to great suffering and agony for every human alive in the shinobi world today. My goals are for Eternal Peace, not Eternal suffering. I will need to find out exactly what Madara wishes to do and stop it, and most of all, I wish to know what he's done with Konan. For this I need help. You're help Itachi. And your help Takigawa-San" said Pain.

"My help? I fail to see how I can help you Leader-Sama" said Akane impassively , her eyes cold and steely.

"You possess great power in addition to the power of the Scroll of Five Ways. Added to that you have some of Madara's own chakra within you and are extremely intelligent, perceptive and determined. I also know that you are determined to stand against Madara. I feel ashamed to say it, but I beseech you to aid me" said Pain lowering his eyes.

"_Astounding. His love for Konan-San far outweighs his pride. He's willing to bow to an inferior warrior for help if it means getting Konan-San back. His love for her is...well I just didn't imagine him having the capability to love anyone, let alone to this extent"_ thought Akane as her eyes softened.

"I was merely joking earlier Leader-Sama. It goes without saying that I will aid you. I too am fond of Konan-San. After I destroyed Konoha and was suffering from the aftereffects after Sasori-San it was she who was always ready to be there for me. Being the only two proper female members of Akatsuki we share a bond you men will probably find it difficult to understand" said Akane grinning as Pain looked up, his ringed eyes not looking so cold and malicious as they usually did.

Although he didn't say anything his lips curved upward a little and he cleared his throat and turned to Itachi.

"I joined Akatsuki so that I could protect Konoha and Sasuke from destruction and darkness. Yet I have failed in both tasks" he said glancing at Akane who hung her head in shame.

"There's no need to look like that Takigawa-San. You must have had your reasons for doing what you did. I am merely lamenting on the fact that neither was I able to stop you from doing it, and nor was I able to stop Sasuke from embracing the darkness" said Itachi as Pain stared at him.

"You are truly a shinobi covered in darkness Itachi Uchiha. Even I cannot understand the complexity of the situations surrounding you" said Pain.

"That is perhaps true. But it does not change the fact that Sasuke is falling to prey to the darkness with every second. That darkness is Madara Uchiha. So with these two hands I will bring him down. Having someone of your and Takigawa-San's caliber by my side will indeed be a great reassurance" said Itachi.

Silence reigned over the room for about five minutes as each of the three shinobi in the room went over their thoughts before Pain stood up.

"Then from this moment the three of us are united in finding the truth about Madara Uchiha, bringing him down...and finding Konan again" said Pain holding out his hand.

"United" said Akane placing her hand on Pain's

"United" said Itachi placing his hand on hers.

* * *

In Madara's dimension Zetsu stood behind the Uchiha as he stood surrounded by nine wooden coffins.

On one of the coffin's was the talisman stating 'Seal'. The rest were all empty and rotating slowly.

"Am I at liberty to know who else your planning to pop into these boxes?" asked White Zetsu.

"**We're your most loyal subordinates and you're keeping secrets from us. This is a great insult to our hard days of labor for you"** accused Black Zetsu.

"Peace my friends. You'll find out very soon exactly who are meant to fill these coffins." said Madara nonchalantly. _"The fools, they don't realize that they themselves are to be the occupants of one of these coffins"_ thought Madara as he finished tying a chakra bind around Konan's coffin which sank back into nothingness.

"**Humph, you'll tell that snot nosed brat Sasuke but you won't tell us. Another insult"** said Black Zetsu irritatedly.

"Now. Now. Maybe we should give it a rest for now Brother. But do inform us at the earliest stage possible Madara-Sama. We're very curious to know" said White Zetsu.

"Of course my friend. Now, have Sasuke and his team departed for Amegakure yet?" asked Madara.

"Yes sir, they've left. By the way, Nagato seems to be rising in panic about Konan. He may rebel very soon. What should we do if he does?" asked White Zetsu.

"Subdue him. Powerful though he is I have complete faith in your abilities to capture a person alive." said Madara.

Both Zetsu's appeared rather flattered at this piece of unexpected praise and failed to notice the slight jerk of Madara's head.

"_Fools, worthless fools all of them. Throw them a piece of bread and they'll come sniffing and licking your feet. It feels good to know they're be two less fools in this world after I become the God of the New World. If Nagato were to battle them then both him and Zetsu would be gravely injured allowing me to grab both of them alive in one swoop"_ thought Madara.

* * *

"Tsunade-Sama! Tsunade-Sama!" cried Shizune as she burst into Tsunade's office room, heavily collided with another person and went down with him.

"Really Shizune, why must you always run like that?" asked Tsunade irritably.

Shizune rubbed her head and found herself staring at the drooling Genma Shiranui who lay beneath her.

"Oh I sure could get used to this!" he drawled as Shizune frowned and got up to find herself in an office choc filled with people.

Behind Tsunade stood the two elders looking uneasy and in the two chairs placed before Tsunade sat Danzo and Hiashi Hyuga.

Besides them all the top ranking shinobi in the village namely, Kakashi, Gai, Ibiki Morino, Anko Mitarashi, Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Tsume Inuzuka, Choza Akimichi, Shibi Aburame and three members of the Anbu who were clearly the Supreme Commander and his two lieutenants.

"Oh, I didn't know there was a meeting going on" she said apologetically.

"Never mind, after hearing such a news anyone would be apt to panic and rush" said Tsunade as Danzo cleared his throat.

"Yes?" asked Tsunade clenching her fist.

"I believe Tsunade, that this is very obviously a trap. Do you not see the consequences of even considering this offer? Firstly we'll be tagged as a criminal nation. The alliance with the other nations will be destroyed and all four will declare war on us. Our people will die and Konohagakure will cease to exist if you accept this offer" said Danzo.

"Umm," said Shizune as all eyes turned on her, "May I see the letter?" she asked hesitantly as Kakashi, who was holding a piece of paper handed it to Shizune at a nod from Tsunade, ignoring the disapproving glares of the Elders.

Shizune looked over the letter. It read,

_To the respected Godaime Hokage Tsunade-Sama_

_Madara Uchiha's actions are indeed strange, for it leads to this absurdly ridiculous situation where I have to write to a member of the Hidden Villages. The Akatsuki has targeted and captured eight of the nine tailed beasts with the Hachibi lying right before me at this moment. I think in the best interests of both your Konoha and my Ame, that we propose this offer to you. Please read it out even if you have no intention of accepting. We propose this, that Konoha lend us few of their most talented shinobi. What we chose to do with these shinobi is simple. Bring down Madara Uchiha. While it is true you have only learnt of the existence of Madara Uchiha at last week's Kage Summit I'm sure you have realized the gravity of the situation. Your Uzumaki Naruto is the only jinchuriki who remains alive today. As such you will need to protect him with everything you have got. That is where our return to you comes in. If you lend us aid in bringing Uchiha Madara down, we will cease hunting Naruto, release Haruno Sakura back to you completely unharmed. We will give you enough information about the remaining four villages that will aid you to subdue them with blackmail or alliances. On top of that you will not only guarantee that the other villages do not attack you, but if needed you can also create war amongst them by leaking out the information. Akatsuki wishes you at least consider the offer. If it is a no, (thought I truly hope it isn't, if only out of concern for your apprentice Sakura Haruno's life or the life of your jinchuriki because Madara Uchiha is already on the move), then you may either return this letter back to Amegakure, or can send your own letter showing your refusal. If your answer is yes then I would like to invite you to a meeting. A place of your choice. You may bring however many shinobi you want. I hope you do take the right decision._

_Regards_

_Pain, Leader of Akatsuki_

_P.S. We have information on the whereabouts of Uchiha Sasuke as well, if that would please you._

Shizune looked up and gravely handed the note back to Kakashi who accepted it without a word.

"Now I'll cut to the chase. This letter has arrived yesterday. Just a week after Madara's declaration of the 4th Great Shinobi World War. I have very carefully gone over the pros and cons of this letter and would like you all too hear it. This is a serious matter and it concerns the Daimyo as well, thus we have informed him and his reply should come momentarily" said Tsunade, "Kakashi, if you will be so kind"

Kakashi stepped forward, "The disadvantages of accepting are numerous. Firstly the whole thing may turn out to be a trap and not only will we loose Naruto, but also complete Uchiha Madara's plans which he revealed to us at the Summit a week ago. Secondly, many of our shinobi even Lady Hokage herself could be wounded or even die should we accept. Our relationships with the neighboring villages and also the other four Great Ninja Nations will become extremely volatile and inharmonious. Our civilians may have to suffer agonies. If Akatsuki attacks and kills the shinobi force they have asked for, our village will loose a large chunk of it's fighting power" said Kakashi.

Tsunade cleared her throat, "As for the advantages. Those too are many. If the request is genuine I have no doubt that we would seriously hamper Uchiha Madara's plans if not stop them completely. My apprentice Haruno Sakura would be safely delivered back to the village itself. We could prevent war with the other villages by sharing with them the information we have on Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha and the other villages. We could save Naruto from dying and save the Kyubi from falling out of the grasps of Konoha. We could gain crucial information on Sasuke Uchiha and his whereabouts. We would regain all the eight other bijuu and by sharing them out as my grandfather had done we could strengthen our relationship with the other villages. Our might as the most military-wise strong village would be unquestioned. They might also have a lot of information regarding many of our missing-ninjas enabling us to quickly round them up"

"Hmm, for once Tsunade has raised some valid points" admitted Homura Mitokado.

"I for one think it would be greatly beneficial to Konoha is we did accept their offer. Tsunade has raised some good points" said Koharu Utatane.

"_Simpletons, Tsunade wants to accept this offer merely to rescue her apprentice and very shrewdly she has raised several points that even she is against but will say it to please the Elders. They're just as bad. Any chance they get to obtain dirt upon the other villages and to keep the Uchiha bloodline within the village they pounce on it. I for one don't think for an instance that this is genuine, however there is a slight possibility that it is. For having collaborated with Madara in the past I am well aware that he does not value his subordinates at all"_ thought Danzo.

"I think we should take a vote" said Tsunade finally as everyone murmured their approval.

'We'll begin with you Danzo, do you or do you not accept this offer?" asked Tsunade.

"I reject their offer" stated Danzo.

"I accept" said Homura.

"I accept too" said Koharu.

"I accept" said Kakashi quietly.

"Yosh, we should take a challenge head on. A battle of youth should never be backed down from. We will all shine in our youthful glory as we defeat all the age old evils in the world! Register my approval please!" cried Gai.

Slowly all the shinobi in the room excepting Hiashi Hyuga, Shibi Aburame, Danzo and surprisingly Shizune voiced their disapproval.

"Please don't get me wrong. I do want all the things that Tsunade-Sama has stated and I do want to get Sakura back but I'm so scared if this is a trap we'll lose everything, I already lost my parents and my uncle to war, and I don't want to lose Tsunade-Sama, Naruto-Kun or anybody in this village" said Shizune pleading for her case.

Genma gave her a one armed hug as Anko patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"I understand your point Shizune, but looking at this from a sentimental point of view will only result in our loss" said Tsunade gently.

Shizune looked down, "Yes of course, I'm sorry. I too accept their offer" she said slowly as Danzo got up, scraping his chair.

"No decision can be taken without the consent of the Daimyo" he said as soon a messenger bird soared in through the office door and dropped a letter onto Tsunade's desk.

Koharu Utatane went forward and picked it up. Rolling it open it she read out, "The Daimyo wishes to inform Konohagakure that he believes and trusts in the decision of the Hokage and accepts whatever decision she may have made in light of the current situation, only providing that he has at least five platoons of Anbu to guard him and his family at his estate"

"_That just means he's too lazy to take a decision and too cowardly to fend for himself if Tsunade-Sama's desicion fails"_ thought Kakashi as Tsunade frowned.

"Lion" she said sharply as the Anbu Supreme Commander who had been standing quietly at the back, donning a Lion Anbu Mask came forward and fell on his knee.

"Can I trust you and your Squad One, along with Squad, 2,4,6 and 9 to provide protection around the Daimyo's mansion and fight till your death if this turns out to be a trap?" asked Tsunade sharply.

"You have my word Lady Hokage, as the word of every member of the Anbu" said Lion in a deep voice with his head bowed.

"Very good, prepare to depart immediately" ordered Tsunade as he quietly disappeared along with his two lieutenants.

She turned to face Danzo, "There you go. I have the permission of the Elders, the vote of almost all the top ranking village shinobi and the permission of the Daimyo. I have decided to accept this offer and any step you take against it will be seen as treason" she said silently challenging Danzo.

He looked at her with his one eye and turned away, "You will regret this Tsunade, you will regret this heavily" he said before shuffling out.

"Kakashi, inform Naruto of this and tell him to meet me in my office today. If he wants to come along he'll have to put up with certain restrictions. If he somehow gets away, Shizune I want you to scout every location where he might leave from and release the gaseous sedative there. If need be we'll keep him unconscious for the whole war" said Tsunade cracking her knuckles dangerously as Kakashi and Shizune nodded.

"Genma, increase protection around the village. Make sure every gate is manned. Also get the barrier team working double to ensure the validity of the barrier. Ibiki make sure all the prisons are properly guarded and all prisoners are subdued. Anko recall all the Nijuu Shotai from their missions and aid the remaining Anbu squads in patrolling the parameter of Konoha and protecting the civilians" ordered Tsunade as the three cried out "Hai" in unison.

"Inoichi, Shibi, Choza, Tsume and Hiashi I want the support of your clan members to protect Konoha while you five will accompany me, Kakashi, Guy and Naruto to Amegakure. Shikaku, your job is the most important. I want Shikamaru to join me on my journey and while we're all gone I am appointing you as the Temporary Hokage for Konoha, am I understood?" asked Tsunade.

Hiashi Hyuga coughed his disdain at being ordered about but the remaining clan heads including Shibi Aburame who had initially protested against the offer, nodded their heads. Shikaku stood up, "It'll be a terrible drag, but for the sake of my duty towards Konoha and to my family I will become Hokage temporarily, and I will die before I let anything happen to Konoha" he said slowly as Tsunade nodded.

"Shizune, if any fighting does take place I will leave it to you to heal the wounded all right? Also when not healing you will remain by the Elders in case they need aid" said Tsunade.

"Understood, Tsunade-Sama" said Shizune.

Tsunade turned around to face the village through the glass wall which showed a young genin team arguing on the road. The only girl was yelling at a brown haired boy who had a mutinous look on his face while the third boy walked a little behind them with a cool demeanor of not being the least interested.

"_Konoha will make it through this war. Madara Uchiha will go down. My will of fire will be as inextinguishable as yours Grandfather or yours Sarutobi-Sensei"_ she thought.

She turned, "Prepare to move out at once" she cried as everyone cried out "Hai!"

* * *

Whew,, 4010 words! I made that chapter longer than usual to give you guys something extra to read. I'm glad I was ab;e to get it done within this week. Hope you guys like reading it! Do review! See you all next time.


	51. The Truth About Itachi

Heya everybody! It's great to see you all again! It's a very festive atmosphere at India right now! Though the atmosphere clashes with the rather morbid tone of the story right now! Big thanks to **heartlessrayne** and **strawberry030** for reviewing to the previous chapter and a thanks for those who read it as well! Now on with the story...

* * *

Naruto dumped his various packets of insta-ramen, his froggie wallet, his night cap, the original Team 7's photo and a couple of bare essentials into a rucksack and quickly zipped it close. He then put it on and clenched his fist with undaunted determination.

"_Hang on Sakura-Chan! I'm coming to save you"_ he thought before leaving his apartment and rushing toward the main gate.

Over there stood a large battalion of Anbu members bowing before Tsunade who stood wearing her usual garb only this time with the Konoha headband tied firmly to her neck.

Behind her stood Kakashi, Gai, Shikamaru, Inoichi Yamanaka, Tsume Inuzuka, Choza Akimichi and surprisingly Sai.

Facing the Hokage, standing just ahead of the bowing Anbu stood Shikaku Nara holding the Hokage hat in his hand. Shizune stood with a worried expression on her face, the Elders Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, Hiashi Hyuga with a servant holding an umbrella over him. Beside Hiashi stood Hinata timidly playing with her hair. Beside them stood Shibi and Shino Aburame accompanied by Kiba. Rock Lee was crying tears of pride at his sensei while Tenten gave him embarrassed looks. Ino was yelling at Shikamaru to not get caught snoozing while Chouji as usual stuffed his face.

Looking up Tsunade immediately turned, "Ah Naruto, we were just waiting for you. Well, if everybody's present and accounted for I think we should get going. The location we're heading for has already been decided and only two members of the village know of it's location. Please say your goodbyes quickly Naruto" she said turning to discuss something with Tsume and Inoichi.

Naruto turned to his friends

"Please do be careful Naruto-Kun. The last thing Konoha wants is to lose you. Keep these medical kits with you in case you need them and please don't take any unnecessary risks. If you see Sakura tell her I'm sorry for being to useless to her" said Shizune tearfully as Naruto gratefully accepted her girts.

"Arigato Shizune Onee-San. Don't you worry about a thing. I'll go there, bring Sakura back, beat Madara Uchiha to pulp, bring Sasuke back too. And don't you say a thing about being useless cause your not" said Naruto grinning cheerfully.

"Don't fart about much on the trip Naruto. The others probably don't have as good gag reflexes as I do" said Kiba giving him a grin and a thumbs up.

"Tell Sakura, we're all waiting for her and if I find she's gone all high handed I'll pummel her" cried Ino.

"Don't forget to eat well and sleep well Naruto-Chan" said Chouji beaming.

"Always keep your friends closer than your enemies Naruto. You find it much easier to survive that way" said Shino.

"Naruto-Kun, let your gloriously youthful energy shine out over the darkened Akatsuki, and make sure that you rescue Sakura-Chan from the evil clutches of most dreaded..."

'Just get back in one piece okay" said Tenten stuffing a handkerchief into Lee's mouth.

Lastly Hinata crept forward rather apprehensively and offered a small packet wrapped in a beautiful blue velvet cloth.

"T-that's a good luck c-charm for you N-Naruto-Kun! It'll h-help y-you to be happy a-always and bring Sakura-Chan b-back" said Hinata shyly, blushing at addressing Naruto in front of so many people.

* * *

Naruto found himself overwhelmed by the affection of all his friends and poured out his gratitude in a big hug to Hinata who squeaked and nearly passed out and a big shout to the others, "Naruto Uzumaki never fails! I'll come back alive, and bring Sakura and Sasuke back with me, Dattebayo!"

Kisame had never been so bored in his entire life. Itachi had disappeared. Tobi had disappeared. Deidara wasn't around to tease. Akane had vanished too. The Leader was gone and so was his partner and Zetsu hardly ever stayed there. So stuck with the morbid company of Hidan and Kakuzu he had to stuff his ears as they argued over which smelt better: Hemoglobin or Mint?

"Rubbish, how can you even compare that red blood cell component to the fresh, crispy smell of freshly baked bank notes?" asked Kakuzu with an air of asking the most rhetorical question in the world.

"Yeah well you can lick blood and taste it, whether it's sweet, sour, bitter, sour or metallic. The fucking taste and the fucking feeling that comes with it cannot be beaten by anything at all, no, no" said Hidan grinning ear to ear. Licking his lips.

"I beg to disagree, there's a complete difference in..."

"It seems you all are having fun?" came an unknown voice suddenly and instinctively Kisame's hand went for Samehada.

"What the hell, whose there?" cried Hidan reaching for his scythe.

"I'm hurt. You don't know me, Hidan?" asked the same voice as an orange swirly mask appeared in the middle of the room and around him in a spiral manner appeared Tobi.

"Tobi" said Kakuzu distrustfully, "Your voice has changed"

"Indeed it has my dear Kakuzu, except, Tobi has changed to. And Tobi must request you all to come quietly with me because I'm not in a mood to fight" said Madara coldly.

"Come queitly where exactly?" asked Kakuzu putting away his wads of cash.

"You see, I think I left out one teensy Little detail when I allowed you into my organisation" said Madara.

"Your organization? What the fuck have you lost your pansy head, dumb ass?" yelled Hidan when suddenly a hand appeared on his neck choking him as his face turned blue.

Kisame slashed out at Tobi, the sword merely passed through him as if he wasn't even there and just narrowingly missed hitting Hidan.

"What are ya trying to kill me blue-boy?" yelled Hidan.

"No, I'm trying to save your sorry ass" yelled back Kisame.

"Resist me all you can, but even you three together cannot even hope to defeat me. That is why I suggest you come quietly or else"

"I'll come quietly when the heaven freezes over. Nobody gets me to do their bidding without a fight." said Hidan.

"This is all very interesting. I think I'll help out" said Kakuzu standing up and cracking his knuckles.

"Ohohoho, yeah your pussies are talking. Of course I don't need you guys to help me out" said Hidan taking his place alongside them as the three faced off against Madara.

* * *

"Sigh, such barbarians. It pains me to have to resort to violence. But if it's what I need to do to achieve my goals, then it is something I must do" said Madara as his sharingan turned Mangekyo.

"So, you're allied with the Leader and Itachi Uchiha to take down Madara?" asked Sasori quietly as Akane sat on his bed with her legs crossed.

"Yeah, I was wondering Sasori-San, if I did something wrong." said Akane.

"You're volunteering your life to defeat the biggest criminals in the world, rescue your fellow Akatsuki member and save the world. Does that even sound like something wrong to you?" asked Sasori as Akane sighed.

Sasori sat down next to her and pulled her into a one armed hug as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm scared Sasori-San. Even though I don't show it, I'm dead scared of those Konoha shinobi. I don't think that was a good idea but Itachi-San and Leader-Sama were very insistent and quite sure that they would respond in positive. And now that they have, I feel really uncertain" said Akane as Sasori kissed the top of her head.

"If those Konoha shinobi lay a finger on you, I'll rip their very heart out and tear into piece before their eyes" said Sasori.

Akane gave a small laugh, 'That sounds like something I would say" she said placing her hand on Sasori's who squeezed it immediately.

"And just another thing Akane, the Leader may not want me to be involved for his own reasons, but when you're counted I'm always beside you whether he likes it or not. I'll support you in anything you do, and if you're supporting Leader-Sama then I will too" said Sasori.

Akane raised her head and blushed at the amount of intensity in Sasori's chocolate brown eyes.

"I love you Sasori-San" she said closing her eyes.

* * *

"I love you too Akane" said Sasori pressing his lips onto her gently as the two fell down on the bed.

Sakura lay with her head between her knees in the prison cell which she had become all too familiar with. Itachi's reassuring glance was all that kept her from bawling.

"I must brave it out. I know he'll come back for me" she thought when the sound of someone descending the stairs greeted her.

It was too dark to see who it was exactly but even in the darkness Sakura could make out the blood red glow of the sharingan flashing in two eyes.

'Itachi, you...came back for me" said Sakura in joy, standing up and running to the front of the cell.

"I kinda thought you would abandon me" said Sakura sheepishly as the figure took a step forward and a beam of moonlight fell across his face.

Sakura's smile vanished and her skin went cold. The entire world seemed to be swimming and her hands which were gripping the metal bars of the prison fell slackly to her side.

* * *

"S-Sasuke?"

"You called for us Tsunade-Sama?" asked Kakashi as he and Naruto entered a small tent, privately set up for the Hokage herself, as they all camped out after three days of incessant traveling.

"Yes, sit down both of you" said Tsunade who turned from her futon.

"What's he matter Granny? You look rather worried. Tired from traveling after so long?" asked Naruto teasingly.

"Shut up Naruto" said Kakashi.

"I wanted to inform you, that in addition to the letter sent by Pain we have another sent to us...by Itachi Uchiha" said Tsunade carefully noticing the two men's reactions.

Kakashi hardly reacted but his one eye showed surprise. Naruto's hands clenched and his face grew red.

"What does that bastard wanna say now?" he asked in a strangled voice.

"This is going to be hard to believe. I myself am finding it...an astounding truth. But...Itachi is not a criminal" said Tsunade softly.

"What?" asked Kakashi frowning, "But Tsunade-Sama, he killed his entire clan"

"Not to mention he joined Akatsuki and tried to kill Sasuke four years ago and also capture me." cried Naruto.

"I'm aware of his misdeeds Naruto. Please let me explain, do not interrupt me" said Tsunade, "Now, we take ourselves a decade back. When Konoha had just emerged out of the Third Great Shinobi War. Itachi Uchiha had been about 14 or 15 then, your age Naruto. He was a pacifist"

"A pacifi..."

Tsunade held up her hand to stop Naruto's outburst, "He grew up hating war and violence. And he was very, very talented in his skills. By the time he was 15 he was already a high ranking member of the Anbu. Now he was the only Uchiha t that time who served in the Anbu, under the Hokage and not in the Konoha Police Force, that was under the Uchiha Clan Head. His father was displeased with the way things ran in Konoha and how the Uchiha were segregated from everything. And this tension spread to the whole clan in such a way that they planned to take over Konoha by killing the Hokage in a coup d'etat"

Kakashi and Naruto listened in complete surprise at this piece of news which had remained hidden from generations of shinobi at Konoha.

"Itachi got to know of this attack as he was meant to be the primary weapon against the Sandaime Hokage's might. But being the pacifist he was, and the love he had for Konoha and the villagers prevented him from going along with it and instead he went and informed Sarutobi-sensei about what the Uchiha had planned. The Hokage at first decided to negotiate with the Uchiha and meet some of their demands but the interference of...Danzo halted that" said Tsunade gritting her teeth.

"Danzo got the Elders and the Daimyo on his side and along with the vote of the rot he convinced the Sandaime to order Itachi to wipe out the whole clan as a way of dealing with the problem and proving his loyalty to Konoha" said Tsunade, "Itachi had no choice but to go through with it. So that night, under the orders of the Sandaime Hokage, Itachi Uchiha wiped out the entire Uchiha Clan"

Tsunade looked at Naruto and Kakashi who seemed overwhelmed by the story.

"You may ask why he spared Sasuke, there;s no certain answer to that is that he loved Sasuke too much to kill him, and the reason he let Sasuke believe the false story is so that Sasuke would make himself stronger if only in order to kill Itachi, and by making himself stronger he would also make himself a place in the world, safe from dangers" said Tsunade.

"So all the time, Itachi was _protecting_ Sasuke?" asked Kakashi.

"Exactly, Itachi's love for Sasuke was such that he was prepared to die at Sasuke's hand only to protect his brother. And now that I've read this I can understand the want to protect a younger brother" said Tsunade lowering her head.

Kakashi knew she was thinking of her brother Nawaki who had perished in war whom she had failed to protect.

"B-but, if all this is true then why did he join Akatsuki?" asked Naruto as Kakashi laughed.

'Naruto after murdering an entire clan you can't really expect to live a normal life can you?" he asked.

"B-but he did it for the village, didn't he?" said Naruto.

"He did it knowing his name would flash at the top of every bingo book and he would be hunted by every nation in the world. His love for his village far exceeded worry about that" said Tsunade as Naruto subsided.

"Then why did he join the Akatsuki?" asked Naruto.

"It seems Madara Uchiha had made himself known to Itachi and also told him that he was in fact the true Leader of Itachi. Knowing Madara's history and his hatred against Konoha Itachi joined Akatsuki to keep an eye out for Madara and to protect Konoha" said Tsunade, "Another very interesting fact is...he was Jiraiya's source within the Akatsuki"

"What? He was the one from whom Jiraiya-Sama got all that information about Akatsuki" asked Kakashi.

"Precisely" said Tsunade, "And to prove it I have an insignia of Jiraiya which only someone who Jiraiya wanted could have because, powerful though Itachi is he doesn't have as much experience of battle as Jiraiya did so there's no forcing it out of him" said Tsunade and she seemed a little proud.

Naruto and Kakashi sat silently for a few minutes digesting all that they had learnt in the past ten minutes.

"If Ero-Sennin knew all about Itachi then why didn't he tell me?" asked Naruto suddenly, "Didn't he trust me with it?"

"Naruto, he didn't even tell me about this. It's just four days ago that I got to know. I doubt that the Yondaime Hokage even knew about this matter at all. It was well buried in the bowels of Konoha history...Danzo's doing I suppose" said Tsunade as Naruto got up.

"Danzo, he's the cause for this. He's why Itachi wiped out his entire clan and Sasuke was left to fend for himself. He's why that Akatsuki woman's village was destroyed and she went crazy and destroyed Konoha. He's such a bastard, if I get my hands on him..."

"He'll have no qualms about killing but for the fact that you're the last jinchuriki left" said Kakashi.

Tsunade nodded, " Danzo will keep you alive as he sees you as a weapon for Konoha to use in time of strife. Now that all the other nations have lost their bijuu and the Kyubi is the only one that remains. He wouldn't want to loose that" said Tsunade feeling amused seeing Naruto's furious look.

"Sit down Naruto, the world is filled with men like him. He';s just got a little more power than them that's all" said Kakashi as Naruto sat down mutinously.

"Now that I've made that clear I want you to think it all over Naruto. This sort of thing is very important when you're a Hokage. If your decision making skills are faulty there is power on earth that can allow you to be a good Hokage. Am I understood? You have to make a decision, you have to justify it and you have to stand by it no matter what" said Tsunade.

* * *

Naruto's bright blue eyes met with Tsunade's brown one's for a moment before he smiled, "You can count on that Granny" he said before giving her a thumbs up.

Madara appeared in his dimension with Zetsu carrying Hidan on his shoulder. Zetsu carried Kakuzu and Kisame on his shoulders.

"I'm amazed how you were able to take the three down together without so much as a scratch Madara" said White Zetsu.

"**Yes, you're quite powerful. Hidan, Kakuzu and Kisame are no easy opponents even individually"** said Black Zetsu.

"I was rather impressed by their endurance. Ever since my battle with Madara ll those years ago I would say this was rather the most difficult battle I had to face. Kisame's abilities are truly frightening to put it more specifically." said Madara as three coffins appeared out of the ground.

They placed the three unconscious Akatsuki members in the coffins. And Madara did the same as he did to Konan's coffin. He tied a special chain around them and placed a talisman stating 'Seal' on them again before muttering a jutsu on them as they disappeared into the ground.

* * *

"There, now we have four, only six more to go" said Madara triumphantly.

"Sasuke sure has been long. He's not longer than half an hour usually" chanted Karin as Suigetsu sighed.

"Damn I wish I still had my Kubikiribocho, that bitch probably sold it off somewhere and some little kid's probably using it to chop vegetables" he grumbled as Jugo stared at the sky.

"It's just a piece of metal anyways, just shut up about it will you? I'm worried about Sasuke" said Karin.

"Spoken like a true fool. You can't even begin to understand the specialty of the Swords wielded by the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Pieces of metal indeed. And stop fretting about Sasuke, he'll be here soon" said Suigetsu when suddenly Sasuke landed between them.

In his arms lay an unconscious Sakura.

"There, he's here. Happy?" snapped Suigetsu.

"Is that her?" asked Jugo ad Sasuke nodded.

"Looks, mighty ugly. Look at those split ends and those rough hands. I wouldn't like to be as hideous as that really" said Karin adjusting her glasses, feeling jealous of how Sasuke was holding her in bridal style.

"Ohh, do I detect a tiny touch of jealousy" drawled Suigetsu as Karin blushed and punched him.

Sasuke started moving, "Let's go. We have to reach Takigakure by day after tomorrow."

"By the way Sasuke. Any particular reason why her face's all flushed and messy. Her hair looks like someone messed it up and her clothes are loose around the top" reeled Suigetsu.

* * *

Sasuke merely gave him an indifferent look.

I hope you liked the story so far then? Please do review! I'm so happy to finally have resumed with writing the story. See you guys very soon!


	52. A Light in the Darkness

Hi guys. I was kinda disappointed that heartlessrayne was the only person who reviewed for my previous chapter. Please do review, I feel more inclined to simply get a chapter out the next day if you do. Anyways, here's the fifty-second chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'. Enjoy!

* * *

"Leader-Sama" said Itachi quietly as Pain turned his head.

"Yes?"

"Konoha is on their way. They have the Hokage, Naruto, the kyubi jinchuriki, Kakashi Hatake and a string of other shinobi. When should I ask Takigawa-San to release her signal?" asked Itachi.

'Tell her to do it when the sun meets the horizon" said Pain as he watched the enormous orange bob slowly dip behind the hills.

"Very well sir" said Itachi turning around and leaving.

"Oh and Itachi" said Pain as the Uchiha stopped.

"I'm sure you're aware of Sakura Haruno's kidnapping and who is responsible for that?" asked Pain as Itachi nodded.

'Then I'm safe to assume you know why they have kidnapped her?" asked Pain as Itachi nodded again but not very enthusiastically.

"Then I sincerely hope there will be no rash decision concerning this" said Pain as Itachi merely left the room and shut the door politely.

Itachi walked down the hallway to Sasori's room and found the door shut. Despite his worried condition he he smirked. Out of decency he deigned to knock on the door first. He was very surprised when he entered and found a fully clothed Akane alone in the room.

"Oh don't give me that look, I hate people who assume that I'm... well you know" she said irritably as an unlit candle lay in front of her as she sat on the floor amidst an intricate pattern.

"Where's Sasori-San?" asked Itachi.

"He went to fulfill Leader-Sama's request. I told him I would do it but he said that would be counter productive. Oh well, I guess he's old enough to make his own decisions" said Akane her eyes flashing with concern as the sun began lowering.

'The Leader wishes you to release your signal as soon as the sun touches the horizon" said Itachi as Akane nodded.

"I take it you heard about Sakura?" asked Itachi seating himself on the chair beside her.

"Hai, what are you planning to do about it?" asked Akane.

"Well naturally I plan to go and get her back. I should have thought that was quite obvious ne?" asked Itachi.

"Naturally, if you need any help, let me know" said Akane as Itachi smiled.

"Despite your show of toughness you're very fond of the girl aren't you?" asked Itachi.

"It's fun seeing her blush every time I mention perverted jokes about her and you" said Akane smirking at Itachi's seemingly impassive face.

"I heard of the role that Leader-Sama gave to Sasori-San" said Itachi as Akane's face become sober.

"Yes, I was rather against it but Sasori-San made up his mind. And besides, Leader-Sama has given him a tool in case he should need it" said Akane.

Despite the girl's carefree attitude Itachi could very well see she was dying of worry. He himself felt that way. _"The things we have to do for peace"_thought Itachi as Akane lit the candle providing a small light in the darkness.

* * *

"Madara-Sama what on earth happened to you?" asked White Zetsu in concern as Madara knelt down in his dimension clutching his shoulder and quivering a little, breathing raggedly.

Beside him lay a badly scorched but still-breathing Sasori.

"It...seems I greatly underestimated Sasori" muttered Madara as his veins began shrinking causing slight haemorrhage in his shoulder.

"**Indeed, we warned you that Sasori's poisons are lethal. You should have allowed us to take him on"** said Black Zetsu unsympathetically.

"_Damn him, damn Sasori" _thought Madara as his veins gave another sickening lurch, _"Who knows what this godforsaken poison does, I'll just have to use a neutralizer and neutralize it for a few days" _

"Should we get Karin to check up on you?" asked White Zetsu.

'There will be no need for that" replied Madara, _"The last thing I want is to be healed by someone of 1/1000__th__ my power"_ he thought.

"I have never needed healing since my battle with Hashirama almost 97 years ago and nor do I need it now" said Madara in a rough voice which was so different from his usual silky tone.

He got up staggering a little and managed to summon another coffin in which Zetsu lay Sasori.

"There" said Madara performing the usual ritual, "Now we have five. I heard that Pain, Itachi and Akane are allying themselves with Konoha?"

"**Indeed that is true"** replied Black Zetsu,** "But unfortunately they've been sneaky and we don't know where they plan to meet"**

'That's hardly important. I will have Itachi very soon. Now that I have Sasori, Akane will fall into my clutches and as for Pain..."

"_Zetsu's battle with Nagato will allow me to capture them both at their weakened state and then with the Kyubi speeding towards me, both sides of the ceremony shall be complete and I will become the god of the New World"_ thought Madara.

* * *

"There it is, the signal we asked them to give us" cried Tsunade as a large fireball shot up into the air and exploded into tiny flickers of flame which burnt out before they landed on the ground.

"Wow, that was some firework show" said Kakashi as Tsunade suddenly halted.

There amidst the dense forest stood a large building completely green from roof to basement, so well camouflaged that if anybody hadn't been looking for it they would never have found it.

"Hmm, I was unaware of any such building existing in the middle of the forest!" said Inoichi suspiciously.

"Actually this building was an abandoned stronghold for weapons in the time of the Third Great Shinobi War. I myself used this as a hideout with Jiraiya and Orochimaru before we had to leave for Amegakure. Only about three years ago when we stormed Akatsuki's Kusagakure base did they covert this into their own base" said Tsunade.

"We're nearing it, should we go in first Tsunade-Sama?" asked Tsume as Tsunade shook her head.

"It's not good to start of an alliance with distrust, just stay close to Naruto, just in case" said Tsunade as they all reached the building.

As they reached however a barrier obstructed their entry.

"_Hmm, they should have made some arrangement for our entrance"_ thought Tsunade as she spotted a small stone lying nearby.

"_Hmm, how very ingenious. Even Madara Uchiha would have had a tough time figuring that out. If they hadn't warned me beforehand in the letter then we might not have been able to enter at all" _thought Tsunade as she stepped forward and crushed the small rock with her leg, in doing so she crushed a small ring hidden within it as well.

Immediately the barrier could be seen clearly. Stretchering all over the building it was green in the forest area and sky blue where it met the sky.

"Welcome to the Land of Birds Hokage-Dono" came a voice as Tsunade sharply looked down.

There amongst some forage stood the very same Akatsuki member who had destroyed the entire village in ten minutes.

"Akane Takigawa-San if I'm not wrong" said Tsunade hesitantly.

"That's correct, allow me to express our gratitude for accepting our offer. Please do come in" said Akane standing aside as the other shinobi glared distrustfully at her cool face.

"_Won't you come into my parlor said the spider to the flies"_ thought Inoichi as he walked pass her and into the building after Tsunade ready to protect the Hokage should any attack pop out.

"Do we get to meet the Leader right now?" asked Tsunade walking alongside the Akatsuki member.

"Unfortunately the Leader has yet to arrive here but we have been instructed to show our utmost hospitality to you all so I would suggest you soak away your troubles and pains in the hot spring" said Akane enjoying the looks she was getting from some of the shinobi.

"H-Hot springs did you say? Yosh! This is indeed turning out to be a glorious day" cried Gai.

"You just said 'we', then does that mean...?"

"Itachi-San is not responsible for your hospitality, I am. If there is anything you find inconvenient then you will please come to me" said Akane.

"_What the hell, are we in some hotel or is this a meeting with the Akatsuki"_ thought Naruto looking carefully at the woman who spoke every now and then.

"...And if you're finicky about your lunch I'm sorry to say it's very simple. I'm not that great a cook, and with only a near blind Uchiha around I don't get much done" said Akane.

"_Why is she being so...well...pleasant? Wasn't she the one who hated Konoha with every fiber of her being?"_ thought Naruto as Akane caught him staring.

"Wondering why I'm so extra co-operative?" asked Akane guessing Naruto's thoughts "It's because I need to protect what is dear to me. The most important person in my life is going through great dangers so that our goals may be fulfilled. The least I can do is forget past deeds and concentrate on the present"

"By the way, where's Sakura?" asked Tsunade.

"I have bad news on that account, Haruno was abducted from here just yesterday by Uchiha Sasuke" said Akane as Naruto's heart began beating faster.

"By Sasuke? What do you mean? Why would he kidnap Sakura-Chan?" he demanded as Akane shrugged.

"How do we know you're not lying" said Inoichi unable to keep quiet any longer, "How do we know you just haven't killed her?"

"The cage she was kept in shows unmistakable signs of being a victim of Amaterasu. The only possible people that would have used it were Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke. Since we suspect Madara of abducting three of our top Akatsuki members during that hour the only other person is Sasuke" said Akane.

"Oh? And what about Uchiha Itachi?" demanded Tsume.

"I think we've established to Tsunade-Sama that Itachi-San is innocent?" asked Akane as Tsunade glared at her.

"Itachi Uchiha can be trusted everyone. He is not a criminal. I cannot explain right now, but you'll have to take my word for it" said Tsunade through clenched fists, _"That snot nosed pest of an Uchiha. How dare he kidnap Sakura, how much more does he want to hurt her?"_

"But Tsunade-Sama..."

"Please Inoichi, trust me with this. I know what I'm doing" ordered Tsunade as Inoichi lowered his head.

"If you'll step this way I'll show you to your rooms. We've just managed to get five rooms up to date in the time given, so I think you'll have to share" said Akane as Tsunade nodded.

"I'd like to speak with Itachi, where can I find him?" asked Kakashi as Akane looked at him.

"He's probably downstairs reading in the dark again, if not he's in the cell where Sakura was kept" said Akane as her eyes looked straight into Kakashi's one eye.

"Thanks" he said before sauntering off.

"Also for entertainment there's no TV but if you'd like I have a portable radio. And I think I have some board games too" she said as Tsume snickered.

"Do you have Shogi?" asked Shikamaru as Akane gave him an approving look.

"Why yes I do. Are you an ardent player?" she asked as Shikamaru gave a shrug.

"I used to play it with my sensei. I'm fairly ok I guess" he said as Akane turned away.

"Very well, I'd like a match later then" she said as Tsunade felt rather surprised at how easily Akane Takigawa was able to make them forget that she was an Akatsuki member.

The various members of Konoha spread out here and there looking through the rooms, never moving their eyes off Naruto and Tsunade except for a few instances like when Tsume found a dead cock under her bed.

"I'm so sorry. I think this room was Hidan's, It's best if none of you use this room" said Akane apologetically as Tsume agreed wholeheartedly feeling that the blood covered room may yield a lot more than a dead cock.

Meanwhile Kakashi had casually strolled of following Akane's directions to the underground library. There he sensed a chakra source he had felt four years ago near the pond in Konoha and 2 years ago when they had gone of to rescue the Kazekage. Only now it felt slightly different. It seemed, more gentle, more humane.

"I see you arrived safely Hatake Kakashi" said a low voice as Kakashi's one eye searched for the owner of the voice.

"Yeah, this is an impressive place" said Kakashi looking at the books that filled the enormous room.

"I take it you're here to talk about my brother?" asked Itachi quietly carefully balancing a large pile of books in his arms and walking out from behind a shelf.

"We got the letter you sent us" said Kakashi.

"Hn"

"I had no idea" said Kakashi with a hint of admiration in his voice, "All this years you've allowed yourself to..."

"Be named an S-Ranked Criminal and be a target for the Five Great Shinobi Nations? Yes, I have" said Itachi impassively.

"Was it for Sasuke or was it for the village?" asked Kakashi casually fingering a book.

Itachi did not answer and Kakashi thought he had failed to hear him and was just about to repeat when Itachi spoke, "I did it for the village, I did it out of love for my brother and I did it for peace"

Kakashi's eye scanned the younger man carefully as Itachi stumbled a little on a table and quickly began gathering up the books he dropped.

"If I had aided my clan I would have been compelled to kill many innocent people. Much more than I already have. Hokage-Sama was a very strong man. He would have easily dispatched my father but would have fallen before the might of the rest of the clan. The village would have fallen into disarray if the Head of the Uchiha Clan and the Hokage killed each other. The other villages would have seen this as an opportunity to attack Konoha and there would have been more bloodshed. Perhaps Konoha would have been completely obliterated. Thus I chose to act the way I did" said Itachi.

Kakashi was surprised to hear Itachi Uchiha speaking so freely about his past.

"You've served in the war as a child, have you not Hatake Kakashi?" asked Itachi as Kakashi's mind went back to Minato, Rin and Obito.

"Hm, I have. What of it?" asked Kakashi nonchalantly.

"Then you'll know first hand the sheer ruthlessness of a full-scale war especially one like the Fourth War where we fight Madara Uchiha. Nobody is willing to give way and bloodshed is immense. You must have experienced all the cons of war, the sheer terror of being killed, the physical strain as well as the mental strain and finally...the loss of dear ones" said Itachi as Kakashi put down the weight he was fingering with a 'thud'.

Silence echoed through the room as both men lay drowned in the thoughts of the past.

"War is terrible. I can understand why you would join Akatsuki to stop their ever battling Konoha. Being the pacifist you are. But what I don't understand is Sasuke" said Kakashi.

"Ah yes, Sasuke. My foolish little brother. Try as I might I could not bring myself to kill him. And a hundred times I have regretted that decision ever since that snake Orochimaru has laid his slimy claws on Sasuke" said Itachi with a hint of anger in his voice, "I had thought he would get strong on his own, or with the help of his friends and teachers such as yourself. However it seems the darkness was too much for him and he got enveloped in Orochimaru's sadistic web of deception"

"I guess I should apologize to you for that. I failed completely as Sasuke's teacher" said Kakashi.

"While it is true you failed in your duty somewhat I see no reason for you to take the brunt of the blame. In my eyes Orochimaru is to blame and I have made him pay. The deal is over. Now my thoughts are only about one person..." said Itachi gently fingering a book with a cherry blossom tree on it's cover.

"Are you really willing to join forces with us?" asked Kakashi suddenly as Itachi turned for the first time.

"I have no enmity against Konoha unlike Leader-Sama or Takigawa-San, both of whose villages have suffered agony due to Konoha. If they can put their differences aside then I would be ashamed if I couldn't. Added to that I would like to contribute to the bringing down of Madara Uchiha as I know quite a few of his secrets and weaknesses. Also I want to rescue Sasuke from his grasp and most importantly, I want to be with a certain individual, no matter what" said Itachi gently.

Kakashi raised a single eyebrow, "A certain individual? You surprise me Itachi Uchiha, who would have thought you'd fall in love"

Itachi merely smirked and turned around, _"I'll get you back. Don't worry, Sakura"_ he thought as the moon glowed brightly in the sky.

* * *

Sakura groaned as her vision began returning albeit slightly blurry. She sat up slowly trying to stop the room she was ion from spinning so much.

To her surprise she noticed she was attached to a wall by iron shackles and before her stood a certain boy whom she had been in love with.

"Sasuke" she cried suddenly raising her head and immediately regretted it as her head gave a sickening lurch and a sharp pain was felt on her nape.

"You're going to have a splitting headache for the whole week. It's best to not move quickly" muttered Sasuke as Sakura realized for the first time that he was shirtless and blushed bright red.

_FLASHBACK_

"_What? What do you mean I have to seduce her?" asked Sasuke angrily as Madara held up his hand to demand silence._

"_I mean what I say Sasuke. Do what you must to make her yours. You're an attractive boy, I'm sure you can make her fall in love with you very easily. My sources report she had a great crush on you in your childhood" said Madara teasingly yet in a voice that could not be argued with._

"_I don't see why I have to seduce her" muttered Sasuke mutinously._

"_You little fool. Itachi is in love with her. Why would you pass up a chance to give him some mental torture?" asked Madara._

_The older Uchiha inwardly smirked seeing the teenager ponder over this but his smile vanished when Sasuke looked up, 'I refuse to do it. I may have left Konoha but she was my teammate" _

"_I have no time for this I have to capture Hidan, Kakuzu and Kisame soon." said Madara as he silently activated the genjutsu he had placed around Sasuke earlier, "Now you'll do what I saw. Seduce the girl so she sees nobody but you. Rape her if you must. But when Itachi arrives to rescue her she must have only Sasuke Uchiha on her mind am I understood?" _

_Sasuke nodded hazily as his head began reeling and his world went black._

_END FLASHBACK_

Sakura looked the other way as Sasuke got up and slammed his two fists on the wall so that his face hovered right in front of Sakura's.

"It's been a long time Sakura. How've you been?" he asked huskily as Sakura tried to back away.

"_N-No, this isn't the Sasuke-Kun I knew. He's a murderer and an S-Ranked Criminal. He hurt Itachi. B-But despite all this am I still in love with him?"_ she thought as Sasuke pressed his lips onto hers.

Sakura almost jumped feeling his cold lips on hers as his hands came to rest on her chest.

"_Nothing. I feel nothing. His lips are so cold. Nothing like...Itachi's"_ thought Sakura before mentally slapping herself.

Sasuke broke the kiss feeling Sakura not responding.

"What's the matter? Isn't this always what you wanted? You, Ino and all those other girls. All you wanted was to get into my pants. And now you're gonna be the lucky one. Laugh Sakura. You're gonna be mine" said Sasuke with a smirk.

"T-That's not true Sa...Uchiha" said Sakura trying to make herself as cold as possible, "While its true I did have a crush on you in our genin days I knew you never cared two hoots for me. Maybe you saw me as a friend. I was happy with that. But when you left me lying on that cold stone bench I knew that you're vengeance would always come first. It made me sad to see you like that so I vowed to get stronger and bring you back to Konoha. I made so many new friends. I gained the best mentor ever. But now I'm no longer that silly girl you knew. I...I'm in love with someone else"

Sasuke said nothing but instead undid the shackles binding Sakura's hands to the wall. Sakura fell to the floor with a thud as she found her chakra supplies depleted. Before she could get up Sasuke's leg connected with her stomach and she went flying through the blood by the brunt of the kick.

Sasuke walked through the hole and threw Sakura whose stomach was bloody and head was bleeding.

He climbed over her and forcibly kissed her as she weakly tried to push him away.

"Stop, please, stop" she thought as Sasuke gave a cruel lough quite disfiguring his handsome features.

"You were, are and always will be my little toy Sakura. And I'm going to punish you for falling in love with Itachi knowing what he did. You little traitor" he said giving her a stinging slap.

Sakura's eyes pricked with tears at the pain of his chakra enhanced slap but immediately he forced her head up and pressed her cheeks.

"You're going to regret it Sakura. You're going to regret ever defying me" he said as his eyes became blurry.

"_A genjutsu"_ thought Sakura before crying out in pain as Sasuke forcibly ripped her shirt open, _"No, stop! Please...Please stop. Help me, please Itachi. Help me"_ she thought frantically as Sasuke lowered himself onto her grinning cruelly.

Sakura's screams echoed throughout the tiny room as the moon disappeared behind a huge cloud.

* * *

Whew, the last part became rather morbid. I've never tried writing such dark scenes before. I hope I did a good job. I really hate Sasuke but I still hope I'm not bashing him cause that's a little unfair. NOTE anything he's doing is because of Madara's genjutsu so don't flame me about that please. See guys next time,. Keep faith. And f course please review.


	53. Planning Against Madara

Well, I'm very happy at the active response I got for the last chapter. I'm really glad you all took time to let me know how you felt! So here I present to you the Fifty-Third chapter of 'The Reason for Existing'

* * *

Tsunade couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling at the back of her mind. A feeling which told her that this was not the first time she was seeing the man standing before her.

"You seem to be speculating about something, Godaime Hokage" said Pain as his ringed eyes bored through the three sitting opposite him.

"What makes you say that?" asked Tsunade.

"You're eyes are trying to recall something. Perhaps you've realized that this is not our first meeting?" said Pain as Kakashi and Naruto, who sat beside Tsunade started in surprise.

"You've met him before Granny?"

"I...have...but I don't remember...No wait. You...you were one of those orphans from Amegakure, during the Second Great Shinobi War, the ones who Jiraiya trained for a few months" said Tsunade clicking her finger.

"The ones who Jiraiya-Sama trained? Are you telling us that the Leader of Akatsuki is a former student of Jiraiya-Sama's?" asked Kakashi.

"You...Yahiko, I think your name was, if I'm not mistaken, became the Leader of Akatsuki?" asked Tsunade ignoring Kakashi as Pain shook his head.

"Yahiko is dead, as much as it pains me to say it, I failed to protect him. This body has been re-animated by the rinnegan into one of my Six Paths of Pain, I believe Jiraiya-Sensei's dying message has told you all that needs to be told about my abilities?" asked Pain as Tsunade's eyes widened.

"Well you're not Yahiko, then you must be the other boy, the one with red hair...Nagato was it?" asked Tsunade.

"You're memory is impressive. Yes, my real name is Nagato, not that it concerns our present predicament" said Pain.

"And there was a girl with you two, she...she gave me a beautiful origami flower, I believe I saw a blue haired woman in Konoha during Akane Takigawa's invasion, was that...?"

"Konan, yes. Unfortunately I have failed to protect her as well, and now she lies in Madara Uchiha's grasp" said Pain.

"Akane Takigawa told us that Madara has kidnapped four more of the Akatsuki members? Why would he do that?"

Pain got up, from the drawer behind him he withdrew a large rolled up parchment which he unfolded and laid out on the table.

On the parchment, drawn in what Naruto thought to be blood, was a ritual. In the center there was a kanji for the word 'Kami'. Around it were nine kanji symbols with numbers of one to nine written in an ancient script.

There were two rings connecting all nine of the outward symbols. Al line emerging from each number came and met at the 'Kami' symbol. The lines meeting at a point all had small inscriptions written on them in an unknown script.

"This is the setup for the Koshujin no Kami Jutsu. This jutsu is used to draw power from ten talismans into a single vessel and combined with massive chakra to become a God" said Pain as Tsunade gasped.

"A god, what do you mean a god? There's no jutsu which turns people into Gods" she cried.

"Peace, Godaime Hokage. When I say God I mean the person becomes invincible, in every aspect of the word. Power, talent, intelligence, determination, bonds all becomes meaningless when such a person comes into existence. There will be nobody left to defeat a person who successfully completes the Koshujin no Kami Jutsu." said Pain.

"And you're saying that Madara..."

"Has already begun performing the Jutsu. It is a very old jutsu, one that came into being with the arrival of the Sage. It was he who invented it and completed it but knowing the risks of such a barbarous jutsu he sealed away it's knowledge and all traces to it except for this one parchment which he gave to his younger son-his descendent." said Pain, "Let me explain to you how this jutsu works. First the user is required to have massive amounts of chakra to perform the ritual. That chakra is supplied by the nine bijuu. Apart from that the caster needs an individual host to store that chakra temporarily while an almighty host is prepared who can bear the entire brunt of the vile bijuu chakra"

"So Madara has been picking off Akatsuki members to provide vessels, after you guys have been doing his dirty work?" demanded Naruto, enraged.

'That's just the kind of man he is. Now pay attention. It's necessary that the nine individual hosts at least be an S-Ranked shinobi or the sheer pressure of even one bijuu will destroy them from the very core. No doubt apart from the four Akatsuki members he caught he already has Konan, making it five. He will definitely come after Me, Takigawa-San and Itachi which will make an eight, and there is another subordinate of his Zetsu whom he will use as the final sacrifice. With us nine ready he will unseal the bind on the Ten Tailed Jyubi whose existence he told you about at the Five Kage Summit. He will use the Jyubi as his final vessel and pour into it the chakra of the remaining nine beasts, and in that process he will kill all his nine hosts."

"How horrible. To think such a hideously awful jutsu even exists makes me sick" said Tsunade.

"I think we both agree on that point. Anyways, after his Jyubi has the chakra he will then perform the Koshujin no Kami final technique and seal that beast along with the immense chakra of nine bijuu and nine S-Ranked Shinobi, along with the very essence of the Jyubi into himself and will become the last and most powerful jinchuriki, a God. Whom nobody can hope to defeat" said Pain.

"No way in hell am I gonna let him do that. I'll go and kick his ass before he can" yelled Naruto as Tsunade gestured for him to shut up.

"What does he plan to do after he has become the jinchuriki?" she asked apprehensively.

"Rule the world I suppose. He is powerful enough to defeat a Kage without sustaining major injuries right now. With all that raw power he will I think become immortal and invincible in every way." said Pain.

"So is there any way to stop this jutsu?" asked Kakashi.

"If we are to assume that he manages to get all nine of his hosts and the Kyubi as well then our options become rather limited. The only way to stop the jutsu without unleashing the Jyubi on the world will be to disrupt his chakra by severing his contact with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, for this jutsu cannot be performed without the use of Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Susanoo and Izanami, all four of which only exist in an eternal Mangekyo Sharingan like he has." said Pain.

"So if we can make him blind then he'll be defeated?" asked Kakashi as Pain shook his head.

"Not blind, it matters not whether he can see or not, you must stop the flow of chakra from his pathway to his optical nerves which control the sharingan. It is still possible to make him go blind without severing the nerves which does not serve our purpose."

The four remained silent while they reveled in what they had said and learnt in the past twenty minutes.

"So how do you suggest we go about with this?" asked Tsunade finally.

"Firstly we must prevent nine hosts from falling into Madara's hand. The abducting of Haruno Sakura is to undoubtedly lure Itachi to his hideout and..."

"Lure Itachi by abducting Sakura? What does that mean?" asked Kakashi as Pain sighed.

"It seems kidnapping Haruno Sakura from Konoha was a bad decision. I had expected her to be terrified and disgusted by the members of this organization. Instead she has become a good friend of Takigawa-San and...has done what is considered impossible...captured the heart of Itachi Uchiha" said Pain as Naruto got up in shock.

"What the hell? Captured his heart? What's that supposed to mean huh?" he asked slamming his fists onto Pain's table.

"What do you suppose it means. They're in love with each other" said Pain nonchalantly tapping a pen lightly on his table.

"No way...no way...you're wrong, Sakura-Chan wouldn't fall in love with..."

"Frankly I'm not very surprised" said Kakashi sounding disappointed.

Naruto turned on him in rage again, "What the hell are you saying? You're don't think he's lying? You think Sakura-Chan is in love with _Itachi Uchiha_?" cried Naruto.

"Calm down Naruto, there's no need to scream. I'm not surprised because Sakura...has never gotten over her feelings for Sasuke" said Kakashi and he glared at Naruto as he started to protest, "Hear me out, Sakura may have tried to forget everything he did by training with Tsunade-Sama, trying to get stronger but within herself she still wants Sasuke, and the closest thing to Sasuke is Itachi. What if her love for Sasuke blinded her into believing she loved Itachi? What if she loves Itachi...thinking him to be Sasuke?"

"No way, I'm not gonna believe Sakura-Chan's so messed up. She...she's over Sasuke, she told me herself, tell him Granny, tell him she's not the crackpot Kakashi-Sensei's making her out to be" said Naruto.

"I believe Hatake-San's reasoning is logical. I'm not intimately aware of Haruno's past life however it is possible her affection for Sasuke may be blinding her...what do you think Itachi?" asked Pain suddenly as Naruto sharply turned around to see the door open and Itachi walk in unabashedly.

"Eavesdropping is something I would have expected from someone like Takigawa-San" said Pain sternly as Itachi bowed his head.

"Unfortunately she's too busy mourning Sasori-San so I felt I should do it in her place" he said as Naruto fixed him an uneasy look not knowing how to react around the older Uchiha.

"What do you think Itachi? Does Hatake-San's reasoning bear any value?"

"I have nothing to say except that your reasoning is completely false Kakashi-San. Powerful ninja and shrewd combatant you may be but you're far from close to your former student. I would doubt even you knew her true self Godaime-Dono" said Itachi bowing respectfully as Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah? You think you know Sakura-Chan better than we do?" demanded Naruto.

"You are still hostile Naruto-Kun. Note that I did not mention you in my previous words. No, you are one who has penetrated Sakura's barrier the farthest, I have you to thank somewhat for her opening up to me" said Itachi quietly as Naruto stared at him.

"Is he picking a fight with me?" he asked Tsunade who gave him a 'Are-you-dumb?' look.

"I'm merely saying Naruto-Kun that Sakura loves me for who I am, not for who my brother is. And I love her for who she is. Perhaps ours isn't the most...acceptable of relationships, there are a thousand and one reasons for that including every other person sitting in this room" said Itachi, "But I have promised Sakura that she has my unquestioned loyalty and..."

There was a loud thumping at the Leader's door just then.

"Come In" said Pain as Akane stumbled in carrying four thick books, caught her leg on the folds of her cloak and went down with a large crash.

"What is the meaning of this Takigawa-San?" asked Pain in a clipped tone.

"Will you let me get up? Gosh with all these damn chauvinists around a girl can't even get her work done" muttered Akane getting up and dusting herself off.

Naruto gave Pain a sideways glance to see how he reacted to being called a chauvinist but saw no particular reaction except a slight upward curve of his lips.

"I was just pilfering around in the library to get my mind off...well you know what. And I found these books on the Jyubi, Fuinjutsu and the Koshujin no Kami Jutsu in particular. Plus I have some very interesting reports from the seal you placed on Sasori-San which allows me, with the reverse seal to read everything that goes on around him." said Akane.

Pain nodded, "Very well, tell us Takigawa-San" he said motioning for Naruto to be seated.

Akane puffed her chest out proudly, "Yes sir, from what I can tell from these books and from my knowledge of Jutsu Madara will have exactly a time span of 1 hour after he pours the chakra of ten host into the Jyubi. Within that one hour if he does not seal the Jyubi within himself then he will be absorbed into the Jyubi's body and will die, and the Jyubi shall be free to wreak havoc on the world"

"I see, so if we can prevent Madara from sealing the Jyubi inside himself in that 1 hour then we won't have to deal with him, but on the other hand..."

"We certainly do not want a Jyubi running around. The Sage of Six Paths will not be here to seal it again even if we do have a rinnegan user" said Tsunade sharply.

"Indeed, I lack the sheer brilliance of the Sage and can't hope to bring down the Jyubi with my rinnegan" said Pain morosely.

"So what do we do then?" asked Naruto.

"Ahem, I wasn't finished you know" said Akane pompously, "You see the Jyubi has remained sealed within the moon for more than 900 years, whereas the fragments of it's chakra have been active throughout these centuries through the various jinchuriki and the bijuu themselves. As such with the chakra active and the body itself inactive we can force the Jyubi to destroy itself from the inside out" said Akane.

"How do we do that?" asked Kakashi incredulously.

"The chakra goes into the Jyubi, if we successfully cause Madara to be absorbed by the Jyubi it's chakra levels will soar, but due to the body being inactive for so long it's movements will be slow and clumsy, if we can place a fuinjutsu on the beast in a prominent place in it's chakra network then it's chakra will begin to push against the body and try to leak out, and eventually it will explode killing the beast from within and spreading the chakra into nothingness" said Akane as everyone started in shock at how simple the plan sounded.

"So in other words, we use the beast's chakra to kill the beat. Ingenious I do say" said Tsunade looking impressed.

"There's one thing I don't get, which fuinjutsu is strong enough to block out the chakra of the Jyubi? I mean if that thing is made up of all the nine beasts then it must have an unimaginable store of chakra" asked Naruto.

"You're right of course, but there is no mystery concerning the fuinjutsu, tell me, have any of you ever heard of the Gedo Seal?" asked Akane as Tsunade and Kakashi gasped audibly.

"No I cannot say I have, what is this Gedo Seal?" asked Pain.

"The Gedo Seal was a technique developed by Orochimaru. Placing the seal on a person's prominent chakra gathering point will eternally seal the person's abilities to use chakra and render him completely useless. There is no possible cure for the Gedo Seal except for a releasing jutsu that the Sandaime Hokage had created, unfortunately he took the secret of the releasing jutsu with him to the grave" said Tsunade.

"All that is true except for the fact that it was not Orochimaru who developed that technique. It is an ancient juinjutsu which was developed by the ancestors of the Miyamae clan of Yumegakure who specialize in fuinjutsu." said Akane.

"And how has this come into your knowledge?" asked Pain.

"It is one of the skills I learnt from the Scroll of Five Ways" said Akane as Tsunade slammed her fist onto her palm.

"I knew it, the technique you used to destroy Konoha was from the Legendary Seal of Five Ways wasn't it?" she demanded as Akane rubbed the back of her head.

"Umm yea, Sorry about that. Anyways if I can place this Gedo Seal on the Jyubi's eye which contains both the rinnegan and the sharingan then it's chakra will be blocked and force itself out and in that process it will kill itself" said Akane as Pain slammed his fist onto the table.

"That is a good plan, but are you sure you'll be able to place the seal there? The Jyubi is nothing to laugh at" said Pain.

"For the sake of the world and for Sasori-San, I will do it, and I will succeed as well" said Akane sincerely.

"Very well, the first thing we must do is..."

"Rescue Sakura" said Itachi and Naruto simultaneously.

"Humph, It would be inadvisable for either of you two to head to Madara's hideout, that's just what he wants" said Pain as Tsunade agreed.

"I think you're underestimating my abilities Leader-Sama, I am more than capable of..."

"Taking on Madara? I think not. Do not be blinded by emotions Itachi, I too feel like invading Madara's base and rescuing Konan right now but I have disciplined myself to see that it would only bring Madara one step closer to his plans" said Pain as Itachi subsided.

"I think Godaime-Sama, Hatake-San and her team should go and rescue Haruno, you probably will not trust us enough to leave Naruto here and I am not responsible for him so take him along if you will" said Pain as Tsunade slipped into deep thought.

"I think you will benefit from sending me away to search for Sakura-San, I am very capable in these sort of matters and I can predict Madara and Sasuke's thought processes as well" said Itachi refusing to back down.

After considering for a long period Pain sighed, "Well the way I see it neither Itachi nor Naruto wants to back down from rescuing Haruno, I'm sure you two are very worried about her too" he said looking at Tsunade and Kakashi, " Takigawa-San is frantic about Sasori-San and I myself am very concerned about the well being of Konan and my other members"

"Are you proposing...?"

"Yes, we will launch a full out attack on Madara's base" said Pain as Kakashi stepped up.

'That's foolishness, he'll be expecting us to attack him...he'll"

"It's a brilliant plan" said Naruto and Akane together.

"It is agreeable" added Itachi quietly as Kakashi looked at Tsunade for support.

Tsunade contemplated,looking troubled, finally she raised her head and said, "I'm fine with it, Kakashi, go inform the others"

Kakashi backed down in defeat and left the room to inform the other jounin of the new developments.

"Also there is the matter of the Hyuga boy we had kidnapped when Takigawa-San invaded Konoha, he has been held prisoner underground and can aid in the mission with the Byakugan if you can heal him by the time we're ready to leave" said Pain.

"Poor Neji, in this commotion everybody kinda forgot about him" said Naruto as Tsunade looked on uneasily.

'True, I feel ashamed I forgot about Neji in the worry about Sakura, I'll heal him up in no time and he can serve in this mission as well if he feels up to it" said Tsunade regretfully.

"Takigawa-San, please go down and free the boy" said Pain as Akane nodded and went out.

"Now that we're alone I would like to warn you, this mission seems to me like gift-wrapping myself, Takigawa-San and Naruto and handing us over to Madara, none of us are prepared. But at the same time if we stall any longer then there may be nothing left for us to do. I have heard tales of your hotheadedness Uzumaki Naruto, I beseech you to not mess this mission up by doing things your own way. There will be a plan, we shall stick to it and..."

"You don't have to tell me that. I'll rescue Sakura-Chan and if Madara tries to pull something I'll just beat him up real good" said Naruto grimly getting up and leaving.

Tsunade sighed as she got up as well. "I'll be ready to leave in a minute after I'm done healing Neji."

After Nagato was left alone in the room he sat silently staring into space fr a while. Caressing a small origami flower in his hand.

* * *

Sakura's breath hitched at the chill of the room. There was no blanket on the bed and all the doors and windows were sealed. She herself had not the energy to stand up.

Lying on the bed with whatever ripped off clothes she had managed to salvage she thought about how different Sasuke had become. How his skin had become colder, how his hair had become spikier, how more _unpleasant_ he had become after being in the company of Orochimaru and Madara Uchiha for so long.

Thinking about him brought tears to her eyes as she gripped the bedsheets tightly, _"Itachi-San. Naruto. Shishou. Please, someone. Help me"_

* * *

Madara clutched his shoulder as the skin around it began drying up slowly and peeling off. His entire right arm was numb and useless because of the poison Sasori had used on him.

"_If I had been paying attention I would have easily dodged him. But there was the pressure of not killing him and..."_ he paused _"I am about to become God. These trivialities do not matter to me. Once I become Almighty there shall be nothing left to worry about. Nothing at all"_ he thought slamming his fist onto the base of the table smashing it into pieces.


End file.
